Henderson Injured in Slippery Conditions

New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson left Monday's practice early after slipping on the team's practice field, creating fresh concerns about his availability for Week 1, now just over two weeks away. The incident occurred during an 11-on-11 rushing period, according to Patriots insider Phil Perry, who said Henderson appeared to hurt himself after losing his footing. The issue reportedly involved his right foot or ankle, as initially reported by NFL insider Mike Kadlick. No official update on the severity of the injury had been issued as of Monday afternoon, and the Patriots have not announced any corresponding roster or practice-participation move.

The practice was moved to the lower fields behind the New Balance Athletics Center, where the grass was noticeably slick. Henderson was not the only player affected; multiple teammates struggled with footing, including wide receiver A.J. Brown, who had a scary misstep but avoided injury, and DeMario Douglas, who slipped and led to an interception. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson acknowledged the conditions, saying, "We haven't practiced [on that field] in a minute... But I know we were all slipping."

Gonzalez Returns to Practice

Amid the injury concern, there was positive news as cornerback Christian Gonzalez returned to practice as a full participant for the first time since Aug. 10. He appeared unrestricted and took reps in 1-on-1 drills against A.J. Brown. Fellow cornerback Marcus Jones said he didn't know Gonzalez would practice until he saw him. Gonzalez was initially shaken up after falling awkwardly while covering Romeo Doubs in the end zone, but he continued. Kevin Byard noted that Gonzalez is handling contract negotiations well and not letting them affect him.

Roster and Depth Concerns

The Patriots are in the final stretch of preseason, with the roster needing to be cut from 90 to 53 players by Sunday. Head coach Mike Vrabel has expressed concerns about the team's depth, saying, "Depth has to be built... Those are almost starters." He praised several backup options, including Kindle Vildor, Dametrious Crownover, Leonard Taylor III, Efton Chism III, and Kyle Dixon. The starters were held out of the first two preseason games, and it's possible they could see a drive or two in Thursday's preseason finale in Cleveland.

Other Takeaways

Several players did not participate in Monday's practice, including Bryce Baringer, Cory Durden, Lan Larison, Jam Miller, Marcus Bryant, Khalil Jacobs, Ben Brown, Kenneth Harris, Mekhi Butler, Kobe Prentice, and Lorenz Metz. Harold Landry Jr. and Brenden Schooler remain on the PUP/NFI list and have not practiced this summer.

Defensively, John Saunders recorded his fifth interception of training camp, picking off Tommy DeVito. Marcus Jones emphasized the defense's goal, saying, "We want to be the number one scoring defense, and in order to do that, we got to turn the ball over."

Looking Ahead for Henderson

Henderson, selected 38th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, signed a rookie contract worth roughly $11.1 million. He rushed for 911 yards on a franchise rookie-record 5.1 yards per carry while splitting the backfield with Rhamondre Stevenson. He scored nine rushing touchdowns and added a receiving score as a rookie, and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team and earned AFC Offensive Player of the Month for November. He suffered a concussion in Week 16 against the Baltimore Ravens after slamming his head into the turf, and managed 76 yards on 30 carries across four playoff games, including 19 yards on six carries in Super Bowl LX.

The Patriots will be monitoring Henderson's status closely as they prepare for the regular season, but Vrabel has emphasized focusing on the present, saying, "I'm going to focus on today. I'm not ready to talk about Week 1."