The fifth-year running back has recently been absent for personal reasons.
The New England Patriots took to the practice fields on Thursday for their third organized team activity of the spring. Among those present for the session was running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who made his comeback after previously missing time for personal reasons.
Mike Reiss of ESPN was first to report Stevenson’s return. The 27-year-old had sat out a majority of the voluntary offseason program following the death of his father, Robert, back in March.
“We’re extremely excited to have him with us,” Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said about Stevenson earlier this week.
“I’ve been in constant communication with him. Obviously, our thoughts and prayers with him and his family as they heal and they grieve. I want to be a part of that to help them and get to know him. I met him early on and then he went back, and now those conversations have just been over the telephone.”
Stevenson originally joined the Patriots as a fourth-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, and quickly developed into a valuable piece of their offense. As a consequence, he was awarded with a four-year, $36 million contract extension last summer.
His 2024 season, however, fell short of expectations in many respects. While the Patriots’ new-look coaching staff vowed to make him a focal point on offense and he did finish with a team-leading eight touchdowns and 969 scrimmage yards, he also led all NFL running backs with seven fumbles.
Still, the Patriots’ new head coach is confident in what Stevenson can bring to his team.
“He’s going to be a large part of what we do,” said Vrabel. “We’ll just have to determine where he’s at when he’s back here.”
On Thursday, he was back. The Patriots will hold their next OTA session on Tuesday, May 27, with the next session open to the media set for the following day.