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New England Patriots rookie RB TreVeyon Henderson is losing “touches” because of a “brutal” issue.

He was supposed to be a complete running back who made excellent pass protection a core part of the offense, but New England Patriots rookie TreVeyon Henderson is losing “touches” and reps in the backfield because of a “brutal” issue.

The second-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft is struggling mightily in pass protection. A problem that showed up often during Week 2’s otherwise satisfying 33-27 win over the Miami Dolphins.

Henderson’s tape is brutal from the game, according to CLNS Media president John Zannis. The latter pointed out “Pass pro considered huge strength coming out of college. You want to see a player of his pedigree have their usage tick upward as season goes on, but I think he’s gonna lose snaps because of this.”

That prediction is already coming true. Zannis captioned his take above a lowlight from Underdog’s Hayden Winks showing Henderson missing a chip against Chop Robinson, allowing the Dolphins’ edge-rusher to sack Drake Maye.

Winks noted how lapses like this one aren’t going to stop Henderson from seeing his workload reduced. Something that’s already happening when veteran Antonio Gibson “is stealing touches,” according to Winks.

Gibson also strengthened his case for more work in the backfield by making a game-changing play on special teams. It’s bad news for Henderson, who made more than one telling mistake in Miami.

Patriots Showing TreVeyon Henderson No Mercy

No allowance is being made for Henderson’s inevitable learning curve as a rookie. Instead, if the former Ohio State star can’t help protect Maye, he won’t get onto the field as often.

The Patriots have to safeguard their would-be franchise quarterback, but Henderson is struggling with the responsibility. Not only is the 22-year-old missing the mark when chipping edge defenders, but Henderson is also failing to pick up the blitz.

His lack of anticipation proved costly when Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks easily got around a tentative Henderson to drag Maye to the ground. The “really bad rep” was highlighted by Michael Hurley, and it prompted Chad Graff of The Athletic to note “One of TreVeyon Henderson’s strengths out of college was pass protection. But this has been a rough game for him in that department.”

Graff doubling down on Zannis’ reference to Henderson’s expected competence as a pass-protector speaks to the surprising nature of his problems. He was widely compared to former Patriots great James White, but the three-time Super Bowl winner earned his status as a go-to third-down and sub-package back because of his sure hands and solid blocking.

Henderson isn’t displaying either of those things, so he’s inadvertently opened the door for an experienced player already proven in both areas.

Antonio Gibson Earning More Work

It makes sense for the Patriots to turn to Gibson if Henderson falters. The ex-Washington Commanders starter is a converted wide receiver who knows what it takes to work on passing downs.

Gibson is also a dynamic runner, something he proved with this dramatic, 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to hand the Patriots decisive momentum at Hard Rock stadium.

The play was a timely reminder of Gibson’s value. It drew praise from head coach Mike Vrabel, who emphasized “I told you we needed those guys to be weapons for us,” per Patriots.com Staff Writer Evan Lazar.

Gibson answered the call and is proving he still has a place in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ schemes. So is holdover Rhamondre Stevenson, who was one half of a huge play that was the key to victory.

Stevenson and Gibson succeeding in areas where Henderson is struggling only increases the pressure on a prominent draft pick to accelerate his development. If Henderson can’t up his game in crucial areas, Vrabel and McDaniels won’t hesitate to trust others in the Patriots’ backfield.

James Dudko covers the New York Giants, Washington Commanders, New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens for Heavy.com. He has covered the NFL and world soccer since 2011, with bylines at FanSided, Prime Time Sports Talk and Bleacher Report before joining Heavy in 2021. More about James Dudko