New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye knows how important Sunday's game is against the Detroit Lions. So he wasn't surprised to see running back Rhamondre Stevenson back on the practice field on Thursday ahead of the Week 10 matchup.
Stevenson suffered a knee injury late in last week's game against the Green Bay Packers. While he avoided surgery, he was still expected to miss some time with the injury. That might still end up being the case, but the fact that he's already making a push to return displays a ridiculus level of toughness and resilience.
“I think that just speaks to, first off, the media not really knowing 100 percent of what they're talking about a lot of the time," Maye said. "And first off, of a guy that wants to be out there,
wants to be back for the team and that we're in the midst of, trying to make a run here and win a big one before the bye.”
The Patriots are currently sitting at 5-4 on the season. Losing on Sunday would put the team in a hole ahead of the most brutal stretch of their 2026 schedule.
After the bye week, they are slated to face the winless Los Angeles Chargers, before going on a murderer's row slate against the Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs. They also still have the Denver Broncos on their schedule.
Without Stevenson, the Patriots would be down to Corey Kiner and Lan Larison at running back. TreVeyon Henderson is currently sidelined with a mysterious medical situation.
Stevenson is not only the Patriots' leading rusher, but he's also the fourth-leading receiver and the best pass-protecting back on their roster. He's irreplaceable at this point.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Drake Maye's strong reaction to unexpected Rhamondre Stevenson return
