After the departure of the seven Super time Bowl winner Tom Brady, the New England Patriots team has lost a lot of its charm. However, Brady’s long-time coach Bill Belichick still holds a central role in the team.
Belichick holds the position of both the head coach and the General manager of the New England team, so whether the team wins or losses, the HC is usually expected to bear the most accountability regarding players. Maintaining this line of thought, Rhamondre Stevenson believes that the head coach is to blame for his limitations in training camp.
Stevenson takes a lighthearted approach to practice limitations
Belichick has been almost constantly present on the field to keep a close eye on his players ever since the Patriots began their training camp on July 25. The coach was using the NBA’s “load management” blueprint to keep the players on track for the entire season, and as a result, Stevenson was restricted on Monday.
Rhamondre did not seem to like the idea and spoke out rather boldly after Wednesday’s practice where he was asked a relevant question. Without taking any responsibility himself, the running back told the reporters that his coach was the one to be encountered for the question.
“[They’re] Just trying to decrease my workload,” he said after Wednesday’s practice. “Honestly, you’ve got to ask Bill Belichick. I don’t know why I’m not [practicing]. You’ve got to ask Bill, really.”
Rhamondre Stevenson, who was limited in Wednesday's Training Camp practice session, says on his workload, "Honestly, you gotta ask Bill Belichick."
Stevenson is following the coaches plan: "I'm itching to get in there, especially when we have pads on." @ABC6 #Patriots #ForeverNE pic.twitter.com/99Gb5azSgd
— Nick Coit (@NCoitABC6) August 2, 2023
The 25-year-old admitted that he usually isn’t eager to practice before the pads, but after they were on, he added, he was quite eager to play.
“When we don’t have pads on, I’m not really itching as much,” he confessed. “But since the pads are on, yeah, I’m itching to get out there.”
When did Rhamondre Stevenson start playing for the Patriots?
Rhamondre solidified himself as the No. 2 receiving option behind Jakobi Meyers while continuing to be a pillar of Belichick’s squad. He was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
The 25-year-old’s performance improved throughout the course of the year as he carried the ball 210 times and accrued 1,040 rushing yards while collecting 69 catches on 88 targets the previous campaign. Since his rookie season, the third-year running back recorded 343 carries for 1,646 yards, 83 catches for 544 yards, and scored 11 touchdowns.
Even though he is currently restricted in his training, the player reportedly hopes to see a comparable improvement in performance in the upcoming season by simply doing the same things he did in the offseason.
