The 2025 campaign is a big one for the New England Patriots, as they will be looking to take a step forward after a busy offseason. Several players on their team enter the year with a lot to prove, with one such guy being running back Rhamondre Stevenson.

The 2024 season was a struggle for Stevenson. While he racked up 801 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, his 3.9 yards per carry was the lowest of his career, and he fumbled the ball a mind-boggling seven times throughout the season, which resulted in him getting benched on several occasions.

Stevenson was in something of a timeshare with Antonio Gibson by the time the season ended, and now, he has even more competition for touches, as the team selected another running back, TreVeyon Henderson, in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

With that in mind, the stakes are high for Stevenson entering the new season, and it appears as if he knows that. On Friday, Stevenson posted some photos from mandatory minicamp on Instagram, and fans were quick to notice that the fifth-year rusher looks noticeably slimmer compared to last season.

Stevenson was listed at 227 pounds last season, and while his weight wasn’t necessarily an issue, it could have made his life more difficult when it came to trying to break off explosive plays for the Patriots. While it’s only a few pictures, Stevenson looks like he’s shed some weight over the offseason, which could be a good sign for his 2025 prospects.

A fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Stevenson gradually made himself the team’s starting running back over his first two years in the league. However, he’s struggled to find much room on the ground in the past two seasons, with part of the problem being the overall state of the Patriots’ horrid offense.

Changes have been made this offseason, though, and the expectation is that the offense will be better than it was last season. Considering how Stevenson signed a four-year, $36 million contract extension in June of last year, the team will be looking for him to lead the way in the running back room.

It’s clear that Stevenson has the talent to be one of the top running backs in the league. And considering how it looks like he’s been hard at work behind the scenes over the past few months, it wouldn’t necessarily be a surprise to see him author a bounce-back campaign this year.