New England Patriots
With Rhamondre Stevenson out on Sunday, New England added a reinforcement to its backfield.
Following an injury to starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) this week, the Patriots added a veteran running back — D’Ernest Johnson — to the mix on their practice squad.
The same week, New England has now elevated Johnson to the 53-man roster, putting him in line to make his Patriots debut on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.
Johnson is a seven-year NFL veteran, giving New England some needed experience ahead of Sunday’s matchup. Outside of his presence, the only other running backs on the Patriots roster are 2025 second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson and 2024 undrafted free agent Terrell Jennings.
Entering the season, the running back position was as deep as any spot on New England’s depth chart, with proven talents Stevenson and Antonio Gibson leading the way and Henderson set to demand snaps as well. But since Gibson suffered a season-ending ACL injury early in October and Stevenson is nursing his foot injury, that depth has all but evaporated.
Henderson appears poised to take the most reps in the Patriots’ backfield on Sunday, but Johnson could certainly factor into the equation not only on offense, but on special teams as well.
Since Gibson’s injury, New England has searched for a replacement kick returner. Vrabel and special teams coordinator have kept Henderson back returning kicks, along with Efton Chism and Kyle Williams in some capacity. Johnson has experience returning kicks in the NFL, so he could be an option if the Patriots elect to deploy him there.
Johnson has seen game action with the Browns, Jaguars and Cardinals across his seven seasons in the NFL. His most effective year came in 2021 when he totaled 671 scrimmage yards (534 rushing, 137 receiving) and three touchdowns for the Browns.
The Patriots could still potentially trade for a running back prior to Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, as some NFL insiders including Adam Schefter have speculated this week.
However, unless Stevenson’s injury sidelines him for multiple weeks, adding a running back might not be as big of a priority as a move for an edge rusher or other defensive reinforcement would be.
How the Patriots elect to attack their backfield for the remainder of the season remains to be seen. But on Sunday, it’ll be Henderson, Jennings, and Johnson trying to help the Patriots earn a sixth straight win.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Gillette Stadium Sunday.
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