The New England Patriots are preparing for a Thursday Night Football matchup against the New York Jets as they look to extend their winning streak. Rhamondre Stevenson is dealing with a toe injury that has kept him out of the past two games. Will fantasy football managers get the Patriots RB back this week?
Rhamondre Stevenson Injury Update
Stevenson has missed the Patriots’ past two games with a toe injury. He had been healthy throughout the 2025 season before this issue surfaced during New England’s Week 8 victory over the Cleveland Browns.​
Stevenson did not practice at all last week leading up to the team’s Week 10 contest against Tampa Bay. He was ruled out on Friday, extending his absence to two consecutive games.​
Monday brought encouraging news. Stevenson was listed as limited on Monday’s estimated practice report. This indicates progress after not practicing at all the past two weeks.​
The Patriots held a walkthrough rather than a full practice on Monday due to the short week, so the injury designations are estimates. Both TreVeyon Henderson and Terrell Jennings were also listed as limited with knee injuries, meaning all three running backs on the Patriots’ active roster are banged up at the moment.​
Stevenson will probably be limited again on Tuesday. Ideally he would upgrade to full participation on Wednesday and be cleared to play Thursday night. Regardless, the fact that he’s practicing at all puts him on track to return Thursday night after a two-game absence.​
Head coach Mike Vrabel has been tight-lipped about Stevenson’s availability throughout the past two weeks. The vibes coming out of New England regarding Stevenson’s injury had been decidedly negative prior to Monday’s positive development. There were no encouraging updates from Vrabel or hints that Stevenson was progressing well until his return to limited practice.​
Toe injuries are notoriously tricky, as we’ve witnessed with high-profile cases like Joe Burrow and Brock Purdy this season. Both players have dealt with prolonged absences from turf toe issues that have lingered far beyond initial projections. These injuries affect a player’s ability to push off and cut, making them particularly problematic for running backs who rely on explosive movements.​
Stevenson’s limited designation on Monday represents a significant step forward after missing all practice time over the past two weeks. Fantasy managers should monitor Tuesday and Wednesday’s practice reports closely for confirmation that he’s trending toward playing.
Stevenson’s Fantasy Outlook
In Stevenson’s absence, Vrabel tried his best to bury Henderson by pushing Jennings. The lesser back operated as the goal line back and handled short-yardage situations where Stevenson would normally work.​
Unfortunately, Jennings hurt his knee as well during Sunday’s victory over Tampa Bay, forcing Henderson into increased action. Jennings exited in the first half, opening the door for Henderson to showcase his abilities.​
RELATED: Free Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer
The second-round rookie delivered with the best performance of his young career, turning 14 carries into 147 yards and two touchdowns. He ripped off touchdown runs of 55 and 69 yards, accounting for 124 of his 147 total rushing yards on just those two plays.​
Conventional wisdom suggests Henderson has earned a larger role moving forward. Stevenson will not completely go away and should still remain the goal line back. However, it would be coaching malpractice to reduce Henderson’s snap share back to the 20-30% range it was at in the three weeks preceding Stevenson’s injury.​
The Patriots recently signed another running back to the practice squad in response to the injury situation at the position. This move provides additional depth but suggests the team remains concerned about the health of their backfield.​
The matchup is excellent against this Jets defense. They were an average defense allowing the 17th-most schedule-adjusted fantasy points per game to running backs before trading away multiple key defensive pieces in recent weeks, further weakening their ability to stop the run.​
Both Stevenson and Henderson are on the RB2 radar this week if Stevenson is active.
Should Stevenson remain out, Henderson would operate as a clear RB2 with significant upside against the vulnerable Jets defense. However, Jennings’ knee injury status also needs monitoring, as his availability would impact Henderson’s touchdown opportunities.​
Fantasy managers rostering Stevenson should feel cautiously optimistic about his chances to play Thursday night based on his limited practice designation. Monitor Tuesday and Wednesday’s reports for further confirmation of his status.​
