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Updates from Week 4
Preseason Updates: Quarterbacks
Drake Maye did not play a snap in the preseason, one of the league's 12 expected starters who sat out entirely. "We just wanted to try to get to the regular season with the guys that we had," coach Mike Vrabel told media after reportedly going back and forth on the issue. "I know that's a difficult decision. I don't think there's a right or wrong answer." Some may worry about rust, but Vrabel seems comfortable with Maye's extensive work in joint practices with the Eagles and Colts — work that went well, per most onlookers, including Pats Pulpit's Brian Hines. "The Eagles' top defense stood no chance against Maye and the Patriots' passing attack," Hines noted on their first day of practice together.
Preseason Updates: Running Backs
The Patriots have kept their backfield mostly static from 2025, leaning on the duo of inside runner Rhamondre Stevenson and home-run threat TreVeyon Henderson. Stevenson already boasted some degree of an edge even before Henderson's recent ankle injury, and thus far he has "looked the part" of the lead dog, per Hines. Stevenson is a big back whose profile doesn't suggest pass-catcher, but Hines notes he posted a stout 59.5% success rate as a receiver last year — worth remembering, too, that he caught 3.0 balls a game as a senior at Oklahoma. Henderson must keep sharpening his fundamentals to push for more regular work, and while coach Mike Vrabel has spoken glowingly about those adjustments, it's fair to wonder whether the injury will slow that early on. Thankfully, the tweak was to his lower ankle and doesn't appear long-term, as tests were reportedly precautionary. SI.com's Ethan Hurwitz wonders whether the team will even keep a third active option given its underwhelming camp bodies at the position.