With just a week left until roster cutdowns, the competition for the New England Patriots’ third running back spot is heating up. So is Lan Larison.
The second-year back was one of the top performers during the Patriots’ preseason win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday. Serving as a runner, receiver and returner, he registered a combined 128 all-purpose yards and found the end zone once.
And not just that, he also received some praise from head coach Mike Vrabel after the 24-21 victory.
“I felt
like Lan certainly had a good performance — a gritty, tough performance tonight, and did some really good things,” Vrabel said. “It is 4th-and-1, and he gets hit behind the line of scrimmage and finds a way to get the first down. And then we have another long pass, and then he is able to break a couple tackles there on third down when we needed it at the end of the game. So, he did some good things.”
What makes Vrabel’s comments noteworthy in the context of New England’s running back battle was that he wasn’t asked about just Larison, but rather the entire backup group behind roster locks Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson. Jam Miller, Hassan Haskins and JaMycal Hasty, his competitors for what might not be more than one spot on the team, did not get the same shoutout.
They also didn’t have the same impact on the game, even though all of them had their moments as well. Overall, however, Larison proved to be more instrumental to New England’s offensive success: he caught three passes for 41 yards and ran the ball nine times for 33 and the aforementioned touchdown.
“I just have to keep going,” the 2025 undrafted free agent out of UC Davis said after the game. “It wasn’t all just me, it was the line as well, and the team. We competed really well tonight, and it was fun. It was a good time.”
Even though he can feel good about his overall outing, Larison still wasn’t perfect. According to Pro Football Focus, he gave up two quarterback hurries in five pass-blocking reps — a possible sign of his inexperience after he missed virtually his entire rookie season on injured reserve.
“I’m still learning and seeing new things every single day,” the 24-year-old said. “Just taking it day-by-day.”
