Thanks to the Denver Broncos holding on for a win over Kansas City on Christmas, the New England Patriots need a win over the New York Jets in Week 17 to still have a chance at the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
New England’s 10-game winning streak came to an end in Week 15 with a 35-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills. They responded with a win over the Baltimore Ravens in prime time last week to keep pace with the Broncos atop the AFC.
The Patriots won their first matchup with the Jets: a 27-14 victory on ‘Thursday Night Football’ in Week 11. New England’s win came thanks to three touchdowns from electric rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson.
Henderson, the team’s second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, leads the Patriots in scrimmage yards (997) and touchdowns (eight) through 16 games. This comes even after he missed most of the Patriots’ win over the Ravens due to a concussion.
Will Henderson play in Week 17? Here’s the latest update.
Is TreVeyon Henderson playing this week?
Henderson was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday as he makes his way through concussion protocol. He was on the field for practice again Friday but he was not wearing a red non-contact jersey, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
That is a very promising sign for his status in Week 17 against the Jets. He had not been officially ruled out as of Friday afternoon.
Concussion protocol timelines are different depending on the player. Some players have cleared the league’s five-step protocol in a week while others have taken longer. Henderson playing on Sunday would not be a shock.
Patriots RB depth chart
If Henderson is unable to start, the team will likely rely on veteran Rhamondre Stevenson to take the bulk of the carries against New York. He led the team in rushing in 2022 and 2024.
Here’s a full view of the depth chart:
TreVeyon Henderson (injured – concussion)
Rhamondre Stevenson
D’Ernest Johnson
Jashaun Corbin (injured reserve – designated for return)
Deneric Prince (injured reserve)
Antonio Gibson (injured reserve)
Terrell Jennings (injured resere)
Lan Larison (injured reserve)