news-engine

← american_football

Patriots training camp: TreVeyon Henderson injured, Drake Maye shines again

Boston Herald · Andrew Callahan · 2026-08-24T20:34:33+00:00 · nguồn gốc

FOXBORO — Rhamondre Stevenson clung to the ball with his fingertips as he tumbled forward, fell and rolled inside the end zone. Touchdown. Stevenson’s catch capped a 1-minute drill for the Patriots starting offense Monday, the team’s first practice since their starters went all-out during a joint session with the Eagles four days earlier. Drake Maye was spectacular again, going 11-of-13 in team periods, including his touchdown pass to Stevenson. Maye also completed five throws to A.J. Brown. Opposite Brown, Christian Gonzalez returned to action as a full participant after sitting out for two weeks due to what the team maintained was an injury. He allowed just a single catch in 11-on-11s and broke up a pass during his first competitive drill, a 1-on-1 period that pitted the cornerbacks against the wide receivers. But not all the injury news was good Monday. Elsewhere, TreVeyon Henderson left practice early, a new offensive linemen took starting snaps at three positions and rookie outside linebacker Gabe Jacas generated lots of pressure. Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations: Attendance Returned: CB Christian Gonzalez, FB Reggie Gilliam, CB Channing Canada Absent: DL Cory Durden, P Bryce Baringer, OT Marcus Bryant, LB Khalil Jacobs, RB Lan Larison, RB Jam Miller, OL Ben Brown, OL Mekhi Butler, WR Kobe Prentice (released), CB Kenneth Harris (released) Limited: RB TreVeyon Henderson, Canada Non-participant: S Craig Woodson, OLB Xavier Holmes PUP: OLB Harold Landry NFI: S Brenden Schooler Notes: Henderson left early after sustaining what appeared to be a minor right foot/ankle injury during an 11-on-11 period inside the red zone. He was attended to by a single trainer, and did not return to the field. Canada returned to practice wearing a red, non-contact jersey. Durden was absent for the first time this summer, as was Baringer, who got hurt during Saturday’s preseason game. Bryant missed his first practice after suffering a leg injury Saturday night. Larison and Miller had heavy workloads in the preseason game, while Holmes has been out now for almost two weeks, and Ben Brown is expected to continue to miss time with a right leg injury. Woodson has not been on the field since leaving last Thursday’s joint practice early. Play of the Day Rhamondre Stevenson’s touchdown grab Parked around the 15-yard line with 17 seconds on the clock late in practice, Maye called for the snap. Stevenson wheeled left out of the backfield and down the sideline, where inside linebacker Robert Spillane tailed him, but quickly lost a step on Stevenson. That separation gave Maye a wide enough window to float a pass toward the end zone, where the ball initially seemed just outside of Stevenson’s reach. Yet the running back snared it anyway, with both arms out-stretched and his fingers sticking to the ball. Once he rolled over and popped up with possession, the offensive celebration was one. Player of the Day QB Drake Maye Typically in a red-zone practice, the passing offense suffers. Receivers have less time and space to separate from defenders. Throwing windows are smaller and briefer. Maye was one of three starting quarterbacks last year to post a completion percentage higher than 65% inside the red zone, while Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow were all a hair above 50%. But Monday, Maye might as well have been playing at midfield. He zipped throws high and low, over the middle and to each sideline. Maye tossed touchdowns to A.J. Brown and Kayshon Boutte, and went 7-of-9 during the 7-on-7 period. He was, start to finish, the best player on the field. QB Corner Note: The passing stats below were tallied during competitive 11-on-11 periods only. The stats in parentheses represent the quarterbacks’ camp-long performance. Drake Maye: 11-of-13 (174-of-253, 8 INTs, 11 sacks) Tommy DeVito: 2-of-9, INT, sack (104-of-166, 3 INTs, 9 sacks) Behren Morton: N/A (37-of-58, 3 sacks) Notes: Maye was perfect over an extended period of red-zone 7-on-7s, aside from a back-corner throw in the end zone that was broken up and an overthrow of Romeo Doubs on his last attempt. Entering full-team drills, he completed a pass to Doubs in the flat off play-action and overthrew Brown over the middle. Then, amid a series of hand-offs, Maye hit Brown for three straight completions on an in route, a screen and a slant for a touchdown. Next, Maye ran for no gain on a quarterback draw and found Boutte for a touchdown along the back of the end zone. Now 5-of-6 entering his 1-minute drill, Maye started with a curl-route completion to DeMario Douglas and ripped a sideline throw for Brown against Gonzalez. After spiking the ball, he missed Kyle Williams on an intermediate crosser, dumped a swing pass to Stevenson and then lofted a touchdown pass to Stevenson on a wheel route. He fired his last two pass attempts during situational work and found Hunter Henry and Brown both underneath for completions. Studs S John Saunders Jr. The second-year safety intercepted DeVito at the end of his 1-minute drill, and had a pass breakup earlier in practice. Saunders is a dark horse to make the final 53-man roster, and might already have a spot. OLB Gabe Jacas Jacas recorded three pressures and a run-stuff during team periods, his best practice of the summer. Duds QB Tommy DeVito He completed one more pass to his receivers than he did the defense. Woof. DL Christian Barmore Barmore lost both of his reps in 1-on-1 pass rush, jumped offside in that drill and didn’t generate any pressure during team periods. Offensive notes Top targets in team drills: WR A.J. Brown 5/6, RB Rhamondre Stevenson 2/2, WR Efton Chism 2/2, WR Kyle Williams 0/2, TE Eli Raridon 0/2 Drops: Raridon Top offensive line: LT Will Campbell, LG Alijah Vera-Tucker, C Jared Wilson, RG Mike Onwenu, RT Morgan Moses Running backs - If Rhamondre Stevenson or TreVeyon Henderson was to get hurt during the regular season, how would the Patriots adjust given their lack of depth? Monday might have offered a clue. - Stevenson took virtually every snap with the first-team offense after Henderson left with an apparent foot/ankle injury. Stevenson has said this is his best training camp, and plays like his touchdown grab back him up. - He also rushed for two touchdowns during one period inside the tight red zone, the second on a well-blocked outside zone play where he followed fullback Reggie Gilliam to the edge. - The Pats still have yet to identify a No. 3 running back, which Monday looked like Hassan Haskins. The 6-foot-2, 228-pounder took more hand-offs than fellow veteran JaMycal Hasty, while Lan Larison and Jam Miller sat. Wide receivers - After an opening 7-on-7 period where Romeo Doubs caught a touchdown pass from Drake Maye and Tommy DeVito, this was the A.J. Brown Show. - Brown caught his last five targets from Maye in full-team drills, all underneath throws, including one screen pass. He also scored a touchdown running a slant against Carlton Davis. - Between 11-on-11s and 7-on-7s, only the now-traded Kayshon Boutte had more than two catches beyond Brown and Doubs. Maye found him twice for touchdowns, despite the fact Boutte split his reps between the starting offense and second-team unit. - DeMario Douglas’ lone catch came on a curl route to start Maye’s 1-minute drill. Otherwise, the only notable development was he continues to start in three-receiver sets with Brown and Doubs. - Efton Chism caught both of DeVito’s completions, while Kyle Williams was overthrown on one pass and got an outstretched hand on his second and final target, an incompletion from Maye. Trade: Patriots dealing Kayshon Boutte to Texans for young safety, draft pick Tight ends - Between his blocking, work over the middle and in jump-ball situations, Hunter Henry may be a bellwether for the Patriots' red-zone offense this year. - Henry caught all three targets in 7-on-7s, including a touchdown up the seam from DeVito, and later a bullet from Maye running right-to-left in front of linebacker Christian Elliss that he carried across the goal line in a simulated final-play situation; a touchdown as significant as Stevenson's. - Behind him, Eli Raridon had a rough day. Raridon dropped a pass in 11-on-11s that, depending on the ruling, may have been an end-zone fumble, and had his only other target in full-team drills batted away. - More fullback snaps for undrafted rookie Tanner Arkin, who worked with the starting offense at both positions. Offensive line - New England, meet Greg Van Roten. The 36-year-old free-agent signing took first-team snaps at right guard, then left guard and finally center in full-team periods. Van Roten is a 12-year veteran with 105 career starts, including a stop in Las Vegas under Josh McDaniels. - Van Roten's addition should complement Ben Brown nicely when Brown returns, given he is the Pats' top backup at center and left guard while Van Roten started at right guard Monday. - First-round rookie Caleb Lomu spent practice at right tackle after playing left tackle in the last preseason game. He replaced Morgan Moses during team periods late in practice. - Lomu lost two of his three reps in 1-on-1 pass rush to fellow rookie Gabe Jacas and Bradyn Swinson, who beat him badly. - Starting right guard Mike Onwenu and undrafted rookie center/guard Jacoby Rizy were the only O-linemen to win both of their reps in that period. - Veteran reserve James Hudson III, who has struggled mightily in both preseason games, moved back to left tackle after several practices working at guard. - From left to right, the second-team offensive line went Hudson, Darrian Dalcourt, Rizy, Joe Michalski and Lomu, with Dametrious Crownover also taking second-team reps at right tackle. Dalcourt and Michalski were street free agents added earlier this summer. Defensive notes Interceptions: S John Saunders Jr. Pass breakups: CB Karon Prunty, Saunders Would-be sacks: OLB Quintayvious Hutchins Defensive linemen - Not a lot of pressure from this group, especially during Maye's 1-minute drive, and that's a bad sign for a defensive front playing without any quality edge depth right now. - At least in 1-on-1 pass rush, Milton Williams split his battles with the starting guards, as did Eric Gregory in two matchups with starting center Jared Wilson. - Gregory was the next man up in place of Cory Durden, who missed his first practice of the summer and has aligned as the nose tackle when the Patriots have been in a 3-4 front or other base personnel groupings. - Christian Barmore has not been available for most padded practices, so seeing him on the field was a plus Monday, but his performance lacked across most periods. Linebackers - This is the Gabe Jacas the Patriots need to see. Taking most of his snaps on the second unit, Jacas recorded three pressures and chased DeVito into three throwaways. - Jacas also stopped Hassan Haskins for a loss on one outside zone run, a good sign after he struggled in run defense during last Saturday's preseason game. - Seventh-round rookie Quintayvious Hutchins started opposite Jacas on the second-team defense and had a sack that interrupted DeVito's 1-minute drill. - Disappointing practice for Elijah Ponder, who went 0-2 during individual pass rush drills and was a non-factor in the latter team periods. - A solid day of run defense up the middle. Robert Spillane, Christian Elliss and K.J. Britt all recorded run-stuffs. Britt ran with the second unit, as did Chad Muma and rookie Namdi Obiazor. Defensive backs - Welcome back, Christian Gonzalez. The Pro Bowl corner participated in every period, from stretching to positional work and then 1-on-1s, where he waited off to the side before jumping in for a rep against A.J. Brown. Gonzalez nearly intercepted that pass and didn't allow a catch for the rest of the drill or 2-on-2s. - Doubs then escaped Gonzalez on a post route during 7-on-7s, and Brown beat Gonzalez for the only catch he allowed afterward, a short gain during Maye's 1-minute drill. Gonzalez otherwise looked both 100% healthy and in top coverage form. - Fifth-round rookie corner Karon Prunty was the only defender to break up a Maye pass in team drills, disrupting an end-zone fade intended for Mack Hollins. He rotated in behind Gonzalez and Carlton Davis, as did Kindle Vildor and Charles Woods. - At safety, Dell Pettus replaced Craig Woodson with the starting defense, and John Saunders took reps with the top two units. - Saunders' interception was a nice play during a scramble drill, where he poached a DeVito pass intended for the left sideline. He leads all Patriots in takeaways this summer. Special teams - New punter Matt Haack replaced Bryce Baringer and had a successful debut practice. - Punt returners: Marcus Jones, DeMario Douglas, Romeo Doubs - Starting punt team: long snapper Julian Ashby, Quintayvious Hutchins, K.J. Britt, Tanner Arkin, Eli Raridon, JaMycal Hasty, Efton Chism and Bradyn Swinson Extra points - The Patriots will hold their next practice Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. The practice is closed to the public, as all are for the rest of the year. - Several players slipped throughout practice, as the Patriots worked on their lower practice field, which runs the length of their new facility, for the first time this summer. - Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and the team's defensive assistant coaches are scheduled to speak with reporters before Tuesday's practice. Vice president of player personnel Ryan Cowden is scheduled to meet with the media afterward.