Patriots Rumors: Leonard Fournette, Darrell Henderson Jr. Contracts Not 'Imminent'

The New England Patriots aren't expected to act quickly after inviting free-agent running backs Leonard Fournette and Darrell Henderson Jr. in for workouts.

"No signing was imminent then, but the sides could always revisit in the future," ESPN's Mike Reiss reported Sunday.

Fox Sports' Henry McKenna reported Friday that New England remains in the hunt to sign Dalvin Cook after cutting James Robinson in June to open a spot in the backfield.

Perhaps the Pats are waiting for Cook to make a final decision before they take more concrete steps toward signing a running back. The four-time Pro Bowler is the best at the position still available.

The risk is that one or both of Fournette and Henderson could find a new home while Cook weighs up all of his options.

Fournette ran for 668 yards and three touchdowns with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022. His 3.5 yards per carry were the second-fewest of his career, but his 523 receiving yards and three scores through the air were personal highs.

Henderson, meanwhile, had a season to forget. He had 385 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns with the Los Angeles Rams across 10 games before getting waived last November.

Fournette (28) is a little older than Henderson (25) and thus has more wear and tear. Still, he'd clearly be the better of the two if it came down to a choice between them.

The Patriots may not need to take big swing on a running back with Cook's pedigree anyway after Rhamondre Stevenson eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in 2022.

Former New England running back James White told Mike Reiss it appears as though head coach Bill Belichick is high on Stevenson.

"It's not so often as a Patriots running back that you're out there that many snaps," White said. "Bill loves that guy, so he just has to capitalize on the opportunity."