The rookie who led the Big Ten in yards per carry in his final year with the Buckeyes (7.1) has already given Patriots fans their most exciting moments of the preseason — and after an announcement by head coach Mike Vrabel on Wednesday, the 5-foot-10, 210-pound ball-carrier could be seeing an increased role in a revamped Patriots running game.

Four-year veteran running back Rhamondre Stevenson — the Patriots’ 2021 fourth-round draft pick out of Oklahoma — had been slated to fill the role of primary ball carrier out of the backfield, as he has since his rookie year.

But Stevenson was absent from the joint practice session on Wednesday, and Vrabel announced that the 27-year-old is now dealing with an injury of some kind. The head coach did not specify the nature of Stevenson’s ailment.

“That’s probably something coming out of the game,” Vrabel announced, referring to Friday’s preseason contest against Washington. “I think some residual stuff from the game. Hopefully, we’ll get him back here sooner rather than later. I don’t think it’s anything that’s significant.”

Another busted coverage that leads to a #Patriots TD. pic.twitter.com/2azK6h5A3G

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But whether the injury is “significant” clearly remains to be seen, and is impossible to know without knowing exactly what type of injury Stevenson has incurred.

If it is more serious than Vrabel implied, Henderson may see himself in line for a quick promotion.

“The timing of the injury is unfortunate given how well rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson has performed in training camp and the preseason,” wrote USA Today Patriotswire reporter Danny Jailett on Wednesday. “Could we be looking at a situation where Henderson surpasses Stevenson on the depth chart?”