Patriots' TreVeyon Henderson Contract Holdout Reportedly Was 'Never' in Consideration

While New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson didn't sign his rookie contract until one day before rookies reported to training camp Saturday, he reportedly didn't think about holding out.

ESPN's Mike Reiss reported Sunday that "a holdout was never a serious consideration" and the two sides were instead "committed to taking a patient approach on how much of the contract would be guaranteed based on what happened with other second-round picks around the NFL."

He ended up agreeing to a fully guaranteed four-year deal.

Henderson was one of a number of second-round picks who waited until well into the offseason to agree to their rookie deals after the Houston Texans set something of a precedent in May when they gave wide receiver Jayden Higgins a fully guaranteed four-year deal.

Higgins became the first second-rounder in NFL history to land a fully guaranteed rookie contract, which Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo Sports noted "triggered a league-wide standoff" with teams hesitant to set such a precedent and players understandably wanting the same guarantees.

Fortunately for the Patriots, Reiss' reporting makes it clear there was never any animosity in the discussions with Henderson and instead a fairly straightforward approach to see how the situation unfolded.

And it ended up unfolding favorably for the Ohio State product, who will now look to compete for immediate playing time in a backfield that also includes Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson.

If Henderson's collegiate production was any indication, he will likely earn that playing time.

He ran for 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns on 7.1 yards per carry during his final season with the Buckeyes. He also added 27 catches for 284 yards and a score and mixed in impressive blocking all while sharing the backfield with Quinshon Judkins.

Henderson also saved some of his best football for the most important moments and scored a combined five touchdowns in Ohio State's four College Football Playoff games on the way to the national championship.

Now that he is officially signed, he can focus on helping lead the Patriots to a championship of their own.