What is confirmed
New England announced the ankle injury and the questionable-to-return tag. Underdog NFL flagged Henderson heading to the medical tent and then the locker room just before 2 PM ET, followed by the ankle designation a few minutes later.
The Patriots also announced a knee injury to left tackle Will Campbell on the same update. Losing a starting tackle and a lead back at once puts real strain on the offense for the rest of the afternoon.
New England led 14-7 midway through the second quarter when we checked the ESPN scoreboard.
What is reported
Mike Reiss of ESPN wrote that Henderson and Campbell are technically questionable to return but were both in the locker room. Players who leave the field for evaluation often stay out for the rest of the half even when they eventually come back, so a return before halftime would be a good sign.
There is no word yet on the severity or the type of ankle injury.
Why it matters for RSO rosters
Henderson is a young back on a rookie contract, so his long-term value is built around years of cheap production. One in-game ankle tag does not change that. It does put his Week 6 status in question until the team says more.
Rhamondre Stevenson was active for this game, which means the Patriots have an experienced back to carry the load if Henderson stays out.
What to do now
Hold Henderson. Do not sell him at a discount off an in-game report.
If you roster Stevenson, his outlook for the rest of today improves, and he becomes the first name to check for next week if Henderson misses time.
Watch for the Patriots' postgame injury comments and the first Patriots practice report of the week. A full or limited session midweek would point toward Henderson playing in Week 6. A missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday would make it a real question.
