The New England Patriots suffered a defeat against the Chicago Bears in their Week 7 matchup on Thursday. While there were few major changes to the team’s offensive approach, running back TreVeyon Henderson saw a notable reduction in playing time.
Henderson shares message of faith
A couple of days after his limited involvement against Chicago, Henderson shared a message on X reflecting on his struggles and the role his faith plays in helping him through difficult times.
“In life, I struggle, I suffer, I’m tempted, I’m tested, sometimes I feel so weak. But when I am weak, I am strong. Because Christ, He is my hope, He is my strength, He is a firm foundation that never fails. Jesus is worthy of it all. May He be glorified always, not just on the mountain tops, but even in the valleys,” Henderson tweeted.
He also referenced a passage from the Bible in his post. His message emphasized that, despite the challenges he may be facing, he continues to draw strength from his faith and remains steadfast in his trust in God.
Henderson’s role shrinks against Chicago
Henderson went without a carry from midway through the first quarter until deep into the third. He finished the game with just three rushing attempts for nine yards, spending much of the night on the sidelines rather than contributing to the Patriots’ offense.
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The 24-year-old was on the field for just 24% of the offensive snaps, while Rhamondre Stevenson logged 69% and Corey Kiner played 11%.
His suspected high-ankle sprain could explain some of the reduced usage, but his limited involvement has also raised questions about his standing with the Patriots’ coaching staff.
Mike Vrabel explains Henderson’s limited workload
After the game, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel addressed Henderson’s limited role in Week 7, explaining that the team wanted to give Corey Kiner an opportunity to get some carries as well.
“We had some things for him, packages or personnel groupings,” Vrabel said. “TreVeyon will help us, but I wanted to see where we were with Corey getting a couple carries too. But TreVeyon will help us plenty here down the stretch and helped us a little bit tonight,” the Patriots coach explained.
Although Henderson’s situation looks challenging at the moment, it is too soon to write him off. The Patriots selected him in the second round just last year, and despite his recent struggles, he has shown enough to suggest his NFL career still has room to grow.