Stevenson has put the ball on the ground four times in four games.
Back in June, the New England Patriots and Rhamondre Stevenson reached an agreement on a four-year, $36 million extension to keep him under contract through the 2028 season. Just three months after putting pen to paper, however, he is at risk of losing his job as the team’s No. 1 running back.
Even though he currently leads the Patriots in touches (74), scrimmage yards (301) and touchdowns (2), Stevenson has underperformed in crucial important area: he has fumbled the ball in every game so far this season, with the last two ending up recovered by the opponent.
One way or another, his ball security issues need to be addressed. In order to do so, head coach Jerod Mayo sounds willing to take some drastic measures such as benching Stevenson in favor of Antonio Gibson.
“That’s definitely under consideration,” Mayo told reporters on Wednesday.
“I’ve had multiple conversations with Rhamondre. We can’t preach that ball security is job security and still have him out there the majority of the time. So, I think it sends a stronger message to the players that there are certain things that we just can’t do to win, especially with the team that we have today.”
Concerns about ball security are, unfortunately, nothing new for Stevenson.
A fourth-round draft pick in 2021, he put the ball on the ground in his rookie debut and was promptly benched for three games. While he did improve following his return, his fumble issues rearer their ugly head again in 2022: as a sophomore, Stevenson had four fumbles in a six-game stretch at one point.
But despite him having fumbled the ball a total of seven times over his first three NFL seasons, the Patriots made the decision to invest in him this offseason. Now, the team has to find a way to get its high-priced running back back on track by any means necessary.
Stevenson is not oblivious to the fact that that might mean a slide down the depth chart.
“It’s the elephant in the room,” he told reporters in the locker room on Wednesday. “I dropped the ball four times, so whatever the coaching staff has planned, I’m rocking with it. I’ll go out there and practice hard like I always do and get ready for Sunday.”
The Patriots will host the Miami Dolphins this weekend in a battle of 1-3 teams. In six career games against New England’s AFC East rivals, Stevenson has fumbled the ball once.