Of all of the things that went wrong for the New England Patriots in 2024, the running game was far from the worst. While they were last in the NFL in passing yards, the six-time Super Bowl champs managed a somewhat respectable 13th when it came to yards on the ground with 1,969. The largest share of those yards, 801, came from 27-year-old running back Rhamondre Stevenson.
Stevenson, a native of Las Vegas, Nevada, was a selection acquired in legendary Patriots head coach Bill Belichick’s 2021 draft — one draft in what Boston.com called “years of poor drafting” that ultimately resulted in owner Robert Kraft handing Belichick his walking papers after 24 years at the helm.
But in the 2021 draft, Belichick used New England’s first pick, at No. 15 overall, to take quarterback Mac Jones out of Alabama. It was the highest pick the Patriots had owned since 2008.
Stevenson a Survivor of Disastrous Belichick Draft
Despite a rookie season when the Patriots won 10 games and got into the playoffs (only to be crushed 47-17 by the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card round), Jones turned out to be a bust, throwing just 24 touchdowns and 22 interceptions in 25 games over the next two seasons.
Jones was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024 and has since signed on with the San Francisco 49ers. Stevenson, along with defensive lineman Christian Barmore, is one of just two survivors from the 2021 Belichick draft. In 2022, the running back looked like he was about to break out into stardom, posting a 1,040-yard season with five rushing touchdowns.
Last season, however, Stevenson committed a startling seven fumbles and now, as he gets ready to enter his fifth season as a pro, and just a year after he signed a new, $36 million, four-year contract with New England, the Patriots may be getting ready to cut ties with Stevenson — according to a prediction by Pro Football Network scribe Sterling Xie.
Predicted Trade for Bucs RB Leaves Stevenson Out
According to the PFN writer, the Patriots could say goodbye to Stevenson in a trade for fourth-year running back Rachaad White of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“The Buccaneers had a three-headed committee at running back for most of 2024, but Bucky Irving looks like the clear lead back after seizing the job down the stretch. With Sean Tucker also impressing in a small sample size, Rachaad White was mostly limited to passing downs by the end of the season,” Xie wrote.
“White is in the last year of his rookie contract and seems unlikely to stick around with Irving due for a large role in 2025. While he would still have value on passing downs, Tampa Bay might be better served cashing in on White now and getting draft picks in return,” the PFN writer continued.
Presumably, Stevenson would be part of the package as well — or the Patriots could simply release him. After catching 69 passes in 2022, Stevenson was down to just 33 for 168 yards and one touchdown last season. White, on the other hand, has caught at least 50 passes in all three of his seasons since being drafted 91st overall out of Arizona State in 2022. White received six touchdown passes last season and has 11 in his career.
