Lan Larison’s first season in the NFL was over before it really even started. The New England Patriots running back suffered a broken foot in the preseason opener against Washington, and shortly thereafter was placed on injured reserve to end his rookie campaign.
Eight months later, Larison is on track for a return to the field. And he will do so as part of a position group that is set at the top but has some openings at the depth spots.
For Larison, earning those is one of his goals in 2026. However,
above that, he wants to show his team that he can be trusted in whichever role it has in mind.
“One thing that I would like to expand on going forward is just proving myself out of the backfield, whether it’s my route craft or just knowing that I’m a viable option to catch the ball,” Larison recently told the Aggie Pride podcast. “I think I dropped a ball in our little scrimmage and it still haunts me to this day. I have flashbacks of it. I dropped a ball. I would have walked into the end zone. But neither here nor there; you can’t beat yourself over that and move on to the next play.
“But overall just being a better player, better athlete and really standing out in a singular role would be my goals going forward. I’m pretty proud that I could play a lot of different positions and that they are trusting me that I could play a lot of different positions whether it’s on punt, kick return, kickoff. Our special teams coach was just like, ‘Be ready. I might just throw you in in the preseason.’ Just for them to have that kind of trust in me that I can do those things and I’m just ready for an opportunity wherever.”
A two-time Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year, Larison joined the Patriots as a rookie free agent after the 2025 NFL Draft. While not offering the most impressive athletic profile, his ability to play multiple roles and serve as an all-purpose running back and possible gadget piece made him an intriguing addition to a group headed by veteran Rhamondre Stevenson and second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson.
Unfortunately for Larison, his first season was limited to 29 combined preseason snaps. He did touch the ball nine times for 44 yards and a touchdown on offense and had a 25-yard kickoff return and a tackle on special teams, but any momentum he might have built quickly disappeared when he got hurt.
Despite spending his rookie campaign on IR, however, Larison is seeing it as a positive starting point for his career.
“Fortunately, we had a very good season,” he said. “I got to see what it takes to win. I was there every day showing up just to see what it takes to win, see what it takes to be a pro. I got to watch guys that have been in the league for such a long time, guys that I’ve looked up to my entire life. It’s not every day that you get to walk in and watch those caliber guys play, work and see what they do to get themselves ready for an NFL season, an NFL game, or just prepare. It was really cool to see.”
With that knowledge in his back pocket, Larison is now attempting to pick up where he left off. If able to do so, he should be in a good position to compete for a roster spot; at the moment, he is joined by only Terrell Jennings and Elijah Mitchell as the backups to the aforementioned Stevenson Henderson.
First of all, however, he needs to do something he failed to accomplish in 2025: stay healthy.
“My goals for this year are just to be 100% healthy, 100% ready to go and just dive head-first now that I kind of have seen where I need to be, what I need to do, and have an idea of my role on the team,” he explained. “And just to embrace that and kind of let loose a little bit, not worry about just being a rookie, not worry about anything like that. Just going going full steam ahead and give it my best and show what I can do.”
