Patriots' Stevenson won't start Week 5 amid fumbling issues
New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo announced Friday that Rhamondre Stevenson won't be his starting running back for Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins.
"Had a conversation with Rhamondre and he won’t be starting," Mayo said, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss. "I'll be upfront and transparent. But he will play. And he understands he has to protect the football going forward."
With the move, Antonio Gibson is expected to be New England's RB1 on Sunday.
Stevenson suffered at least one fumble in each of the team's first four games this season. He's carried the ball 65 times for 267 yards and two touchdowns. His average of 4.1 yards per rushing attempt is slightly better than his 2023 mark (4) but significantly lower than his 2022 season, when he topped 1,000 yards on the ground while averaging 5 yards per carry.
Gibson - a former 1,000-yard rusher with the Washington Commanders - ranks second on the Patriots this season with 155 rushing yards on 29 carries.
New England ranks only 26th in rushing EPA/play this year.
The Patriots kicked off the season with an upset victory over the Cincinnati Bengals but have since lost three in a row. The Dolphins are also 1-3.