Injured Patriots RB Details Recovery, 2026 Expectations

Last summer, the New England Patriots ran up the score in the preseason opener against the Washington Commanders. One of the team's six touchdowns was a two-yard toss sweep to rookie running back Lan Larison, who finished the 48-18 win with 35 rushing yards on seven carries.

That was all she wrote for the undrafted free agent out of UC-Davis, as Larison was put on season-ending injured reserve with a broken foot. He missed his entire rookie season, watching the Patriots make it all the way to their first Super Bowl since 2018.

Now, as Larison works his way back onto the field, he's ready to stay healthy for a full preseason and make his mark.

What Are Larison's Goals For 2026?

"One thing that I would like to expand on going forward is just proving myself out of the backfield, whether it’s my route craft or just knowing that I’m a viable option to catch the ball," Larison told Aggie pride, a UC-David football podcast, this offseason. "I think I dropped a ball in our little scrimmage and it still haunts me to this day. I have flashbacks of it. I dropped a ball. I would have walked into the end zone. But neither here nor there; you can’t beat yourself over that and move on to the next play."

Larison came to New England with high hopes. The receiving back was a star for the Aggies in college, winning the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year Award twice before signing with the Patriots last spring. He got thrown into a running back room with Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson and Antonio Gibson, making plays during the summer.

In the preseason win over Washington, he played just 29 snaps on the field -- one of which was a 25-yard kick return. He also added in a tackle on special teams. So what does Larison have in mind for his second NFL season?

Jul 28, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots running back Lan Larison (34) heads to the practice fields for training camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

"Just being a better player, better athlete and really standing out in a singular role would be my goals going forward," he said. "I’m pretty proud that I could play a lot of different positions and that they are trusting me that I could play a lot of different positions whether it’s on punt, kick return, kickoff."

It's A Small RB Room ... For Now

Larison admitted that because the Patriots had a good season, he's already starting his career on a positive note. Being able to watch winning football helped him off the field. In 2026, however, he's fighting for a roster spot. Behind Stevenson and Henderson, he's clumped into a position room that features Terrell Jennings and Elijah Mitchell. The Patriots are also expected to add another running back in the draft later this month.

While Larison still has an uphill climb to make the 53-man roster out of the preseason, he's ready to attack training camp with the same drive he had a year ago. This time, he wants to stay healthy to better his chances.

"My goals for this year are just to be 100% healthy, 100% ready to go and just dive head-first now that I kind of have seen where I need to be, what I need to do, and have an idea of my role on the team," Larison said. "And just to embrace that and kind of let loose a little bit, not worry about just being a rookie, not worry about anything like that. Just going going full steam ahead and give it my best and show what I can do."

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