After the New England Patriots‘ week 3 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team has discovered multiple issues. The most prominent one of them is Rhamondre Stevenson‘s fumbling issues. Stevenson lost two fumbles against the Steelers and ended up with four carries for 18 yards and three catches for 38 yards. Following his fumbling issue, HC Mike Vrabel has opened up about his perspective on this matter.

“HC Mike Vrabel says that RB Rhamondre Stevenson is not being “disciplined” per se for his fumbling issues last week” senior reporter Evan Lazar tweeted today. The tweet also referred to a similar instance with Drake Maye. “Vrabel referenced Drake Maye’s two turnovers, saying they aren’t making a change at quarterback, so same goes at running back.”

Although Vrabel has affirmed his trust in Rhamondre, he has also given clear hints of future changes due to the fumbling issue. In the postgame interview, Vrabel addressed Rhamondre’s issue. ” We need his ability, but we also need to take care of the football” Vrabel said. He also mentioned, “We need him. We absolutely need him. We’ll just have to look at the technique and we’ll have to look at the ball security”

This statement comes after Rhamondre was sidelined for the vast majority of the second half after his second fumble. The statement also shows that ball security can influence how the carries are divided between Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, and TreyVeyon Hendreson, a glimpse of which we saw on Sunday. After his second fumble, Rhamondre had only two snaps. Even Gibson’s role was reduced after he lost a fumble, and the HC decided to stick with Hendreson  

However, this is not a new issue for Rhamondre, as he has been carrying the load of this fumbling issue from last season. In 2024, Rhamondre had 7 fumbles, and it looks like he is in the mood to break this record this season. However, he might be missing the grip on the ball, but he has a strong grip on Vrabel’s trust factor. The same goes for QB Drake Maye, who had two turnovers in the match.

Although no actions have been taken against these mistakes, there is one more factor that might be stopping Vrabel from taking any action amid Rhamondre acceptance. 

Rhamondre’s realization and contract 

While Vrabel has shown his confidence in Rhamondre’, the running back didn’t miss to acknowledge his HC’s trust. While addressing the media in the locker room, Rhamondre said, “I mean, I appreciate it, but I gotta hold onto the ball, you know to have value and you know put value to this team,”. He also went on to say, “If I can’t hold the ball, they don’t need me.” This clearly shows Rhamondre is aware of the pressure and mistakes. 

However, apart from all this, there might be one more factor preventing the HC from taking a harsh decision against Rhamondre, and that’s related to his contract. Just before the 2024 season, Rhamondre signed a four-year, $36MM extension. What makes this contract special? It still has $ 3.25 million in guaranteed salary in 2026.

Whether it is Vrabel’s habit to be patient with players, his confidence in Rhamondre, or the contract factor, Rhamondre cannot take it for granted. He has himself admitted that if this continues, the team will no longer need him. Hope the running back gets a grip before he turns out of favor.