The New England Patriots needed precisely one (1) preseason game for the vibes to shift. While the general feelings of positivity around this team remain after a commanding win over the Washington Commanders, there's still plenty to figure out with this roster. Mike Vrabel, Josh McDaniels and Terrell Williams are all exceedingly qualified coaches, but New England is a young group looking to dig itself out of a deep hole.
Patriots running back Lan Larison suffered a season-ending broken foot in New England's preseason opener. He will head to the IR and miss the entire 2025 campaign. He finished his first — and quite possibly only — game in a Patriots uniform seven carries for 35 yards and a touchdown, as well as two receptions for nine additional yards.
Source confirms that Patriots undrafted rookie Lan Larison will undergo surgery. He suffered a broken foot against the Commanders - and finished the game on it.
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) August 10, 2025
With Larison on the IR, New England promptly signed his presumed replacement, Deneric Price. Price went undrafted in 2023 and has bounced between preseason tryouts and practice squad opportunities, as well as a stint in the UFL. He will get a few weeks to make his case to Patriots coaches.
Patriots put Lan Larison on IL after impressive debut
Larison, undrafted out of UC Davis, made a strong impression on Patriots coaches and fans in training camp. He was among their most productive running backs in the preseason opener, averaging 5.0 yards per carry — second-most among backs to receive six-plus carries, trailing only Rhamondre Stevenson (5.1 YPC).
There was a real path for Larison to make the final roster and even compete for change-of-pace duties behind Stevenson and second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson. Instead, he risks falling into obscurity before his professional opportunities really take shape. Larison is still signed to a three-year, $2.9 million contract, but only $175,000 is guaranteed.
Lan Larison injury keeps Antonio Gibson strong in RB3 role
Antonio Gibson was floundering on the roster bubble for portions of training camp, but he appears locked in the change-of-pace role for now. New England will rely primarily on Stevenson and Henderson is what figures to be a fairly equal time share, but Gibson has pass-catching utility and he's a proven weapon. The 27-year-old finished the 2024 campaign, his first in a Patriots uniform, with 538 yards and one touchdown on 120 carries. He added 23 receptions for 206 yards.
Terrell Jennings, who has 13 carries across two NFL seasons, is currently slated in the RB4 role. He poses very little threat to Gibson, especially compared to an upstart rookie like Larison. It's not uncommon for UDFA running backs to quickly climb the ranks professionally, as running back features more roster turnover than any other position. It's the least "valuable" position in a lot of ways and teams will always welcome the chance to get cheaper (and younger) there.
This is a brutal twist of fate for Larison, who was fighting an uphill battle just to crack the roster (and winning that battle, from the looks of it). Instead, Gibson remains an overwhelming favorite to claim change-of-pace duties now, with New England figuring to split touches frequently between their primary running back trio until Henderson can stake his claim on a workhorse role.