Rhamondre Stevenson benched: Patriots RB won’t start vs. Dolphins in Week 5, but he’ll still play

The New England Patriots fell to 1-3 with their 30-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, and it’s time to make some changes. Not at the quarterback position just yet, but at running back. When the team hosts the Miami Dolphins for its Week 5 matchup on Sunday, Rhamondre Stevenson will not be the team’s starting running back, head coach Jerod Mayo told Patriots All-Access. This comes mere days after Mayo told reporters that such a change was “definitely under consideration.” Veteran Antonio Gibson is the likely candidate to start. 

“I had a conversation with Rhamondre and, quite frankly, this week he won’t be starting,” Mayo told host Scott Zolak. “I’ll be upfront and very transparent. But he will play. And he understands that he has to protect the football going forward. It’s a mentality at this point, it’s an awareness at this point, and really not much more to do with technique or anything like that. You’re a target on a week-after-week basis as soon as you show that you’re going to put the ball on the ground.”

Stevenson has fumbled in each game this season and has averaged 33 rushing yards per game over the last two contests. He averaged 100.5 rushing yards per game and scored two touchdowns in the first two games of the season. Stevenson is one of just four running backs to lose multiple fumbles in 2024. He recorded the most scrimmage yards by a Patriot through three seasons since Curtis Martin with 3,047 total yards, but through four weeks, New England statistically has the worst offense in the NFL.

As for Gibson, the free-agent addition has rushed 29 times for 155 yards this season and caught seven passes for 82 yards. He caught three passes for 67 yards last week against the 49ers, which led the team. Gibson was also the Patriots’ leading rusher in the Week 2 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks when he rushed 11 times for 96 yards.

Gibson is averaging 5.3 yards per carry compared to Stevenson’s 4.1 yards per carry, but the most important statistic is that he hasn’t fumbled yet this season.