Rhamondre Stevenson is entering the final season of his rookie contract, but it appears the running back will remain with the New England Patriots for the foreseeable future.
The Patriots and Stevenson are working on a contract extension, with the running back teasing that an agreement might be near.
“Right now, I'm trying to get the deal done and get it locked in,” Stevenson told reporters following the Patriots' first mandatory minicamp practice. “We'll see where that goes. It's pretty close.”
If the Patriots were to finalize an extension with Setevenson in the coming months, it would mark a continued change in philosophy under new head of football operations Eliot Wolf in his first offseason with the team. Wolf has seemingly made it a point of emphasis for the Patriots to retain players that they drafted, a chance from Bill Belichick's final few offseasons with the team.
So far, Wolf has re-signed Patriots draft picks Joshuah Uche, Michael Onwenu, Kyle Dugger, and Anfernee Jennings in free agency. He also gave Christian Barmore an extension. Additionally, the Patriots re-signed veterans Kendrick Bourne and Hunter Henry in free agency.
Stevenson's production matches the profile of players the Patriots have extended this offseason. He's rushed for 2,265 yards and 14 touchdowns on 499 carries to go with 121 receptions for 782 yards and one touchdown in his career after the Patriots selected him in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Stevenson appeared to be emerging as one of the game's best dual-threat running backs in 2022. He rushed for 1,040 yards on five yards per carry and five touchdowns. He also had a team-high 69 receptions for 421 yards that year, also proving to be effective as a pass-blocker out of the backfield as he was used more often than any other Patriots running back in recent memory.
However, Stevenson struggled a bit last year. He rushed for 619 yards on four yards per carry and four touchdowns last year, playing in just 12 games due to an ankle sprain.
Still, the Patriots apparently value Stevenson even after his struggles last season and the perceived lack of value out of the running back position. Stevenson shared that the Patriots have been in discussions with him for a contract extension throughout the offseason.
“It's not frustrating, but it's just a long process,” Stevenson said of contract talks. “This is my first time going through it, but just hearing from all the other guys, this is how it goes. It's a negotiation process, and I'm respecting the process.
“It's hard not to think about it. This is our career, our life, and our future. But just staying disciplined and coming out here and working every day; as long as you do that, everything else should come with it.”
What Jerod Mayo said of Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson
If the contract talks with Stevenson weren't enough to prove that the Patriots value him, Mayo gave the running back some pretty high paise on Monday.
“I think he's one of the better backs in the league, no doubt about it,” Mayo said. “I'm excited to see what he does this season, and look, he's earned everything that he gets. He is our starting running back and, hopefully, we do get something done.”
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