New England Patriots Shutting Down Rhamondre Stevenson?

After suffering a high ankle sprain in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, the New England Patriots could have to decide on whether they risk letting Rhamondre Stevenson return to finish out the season.

Could the New England Patriots shut down their lead running back, Rhamondre Stevenson, following the high ankle sprain injury he suffered in the 6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday? 

While it seems like a possibility as the Patriots sit at 2-10 on the season, and the only thing left to "play for" would be positioning in the upcoming NFL Draft, a recent report from Boston Sports Journal's Mike Giardi says not so fast.

“First, I can confirm per team sources that Rhamondre Stevenson suffered a high ankle sprain,” Giardi writes. “That injury typically takes three weeks or so to recover. There’s already chatter that the Pats should shut him down for the rest of the season. Someone close to Stevenson told me, ‘If he can find a way to be out there, he will. He won’t let his brothers down. That’s not who he is.’ “

Dec 3, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) rushes against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half at Gillette Stadium.  / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

If Giardi's estimation of three weeks before recovery is correct, a possible return for Stevenson would be the December 31 matchup with the Buffalo Bills. If Stevenson does return versus the Bills, he'd likely play in the regular season finale for the Patriots against the New York Jets.

While Stevenson's availability may help a struggling Patriots offense, it is hard to ignore that, in this scenario, he'd return for two meaningless games. This makes the idea of having him sidelined for the season make much more sense. 

For the Patriots, Stevenson is undoubtedly their top back, as shown on the stat sheet via his 619 yards and four touchdowns on 156 attempts. Why even run the risk of him suffering a more serious injury? 

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Then, from the 25-year-old's perspective, the current shelf life for a running back seems to be drawing shorter with each year. That fact must be on the mind of the former fourth-round pick, who will enter a contract year next season.

Conventional wisdom tells you that if the Patriots are set on "tanking" for a shot at the No. 1 overall pick, they won't risk rushing a valuable player like Stevenson back from injury.

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