Rhamondre Stevenson Draws 'Tom Brady & Lawrence Taylor' Comparison from Patriots' Bill Belichick

Rhamondre Stevenson's "growth and development'' has Patriots coach Bill Belichick comparing him to "Tom Brady and to Lawrence Taylor.”

When an NFL team's game is about to be televised, it is customary for the national broadcast crew to get some sit-down time with the key figures of the teams.

In New England, of course, that has long meant Patriots coach Bill Belichick involved in the sit-down - which doesn't mean he actually has to offer up any gems in the "production meeting.''

But in advance of what turned out to be a Thanksgiving loss to Minnesota, Belichick was not only cooperative, but according to NBC's Jason Garrett was effusive in his praise about one Patriots player in particular.

“It was incredible. He went on and on and on," Garrett said on yesterday's Thanksgiving Day broadcast. "And Coach doesn’t speak a lot in those production meetings, but he probably talked about Rhamondre (Stevenson) for 15 minutes.''

And what, according to former Dallas Cowboys head coach Garrett, did Belichick have to say about the qualities of the young running back?

"He compared his growth and his development in a short period of time,'' Garrett reported, "to both Tom Brady and to Lawrence Taylor.”

Belichick, of course, was the New York Giants defensive coordinator when he coached Taylor, arguably the greatest defensive player in NFL history. And his partnership with Brady, arguably the great offensive player in NFL history, is the stuff of legend.

In the case of Stevenson, Belichick's point (via Garrett) is less likely about his future as a "legend'' and more about the fine qualities that make him tick ... though he certainly has become a productive player for the Patriots' offense this season. 

In the loss to the Vikings, he finished with 112 total yards (rushing and receiving). This year, he's got 680 rushing yards, all part of a build-up that began early this season, when Belichick said of the 2021 fourth-round pick, “He is a good all-around back. Love him. Love him.”

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