Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson will miss at least a few weeks after suffering a high ankle sprain Sunday versus the Chargers, according to ESPN.
The Pats’ leading rusher twisted his ankle on a first-quarter tackle Sunday that caused him to fumble. After the play, he could not put any weight on his right leg, had to be helped off the field and did not return. It’s possible Stevenson has played his final snap for the Patriots this season.
The 25-year-old’s production declined after a breakout second year in 2022. He’s rushed for 619 yards and four touchdowns at 4.0 yards per carry, all numbers down from last season when he also led the Patriots in receptions. Stevenson will enter a contract year in 2024, which may incentivize him to sit out the rest of the season if he is not fully healthy before the Patriots’ season will end against the Jets on Jan. 7.
Ezekiel Elliott, Ty Montgomery and JaMychal Hasty are the Pats’ only other running backs available on the active roster. Elliott rushed for 52 yards on 17 carries after Stevenson exited Sunday. He was listed as a limited participant on the team’s projected injury report Monday for Thursday night’s game at Pittsburgh. Elliott later told reporters he feels good, despite dealing with a recent thigh injury.
Elliott has rushed for 429 yards and two touchdowns this season, while averaging 3.8 yards per carry. He’s also caught 24 passes for 154 yards.
Montgomery has taken three carries for nine yards all year. His lone carry versus the Chargers covered two yards.The hybrid running back/receiver has primarily served in a special teams role this season, playing just 36 offensive snaps. For reference, that is 56 fewer than rookie receiver Kayshon Boutte, who has been a healthy scratch eight times.
Hasty has not taken a carry for the Patriots since signing off the Jaguars’ practice squad last month. Earlier this season, Hasty appeared in three games for Jacksonville, seeing two targets and failing to record a rush or a reception. Over his five-year career, which started in San Francisco, the 5-foot-8 back has averaged 4.1 yards per carry and flashed soft hands.
Second-year backup Kevin Harris remains on the practice squad. Harris has not appeared in a regular-season game since being cut at the end of training camp. The 5-foot-10, 225-pounder would offer a power-running option, if elevated. He rushed 18 times for 52 yards and a touchdown last year as a rookie.
In Pittsburgh, the Patriots will face a middling Steelers run defense that ranks 14th by EPA, 15th by DVOA and 21st by yards allowed per carry (4.3). The Pats can be expected to take another run-heavy approach in Pittsburgh, with backup quarterback Bailey Zappe projected to start again Thursday. Against the Chargers, Zappe’s first start of the season, the offense rushed on a season-high 67% of its first downs and ran seven more times than it passed.
In last year’s regular-season meeting, a 17-14 Pats victory, the Patriots rushed for 124 yards and engineered a clock-killing drive that drained the last 6:33 of the game to seal their first win of the season.