FOXBORO — It’s been an underwhelming spring for the most part for Patriots backup running back Lan Larison.
Larison saw any grip he might have on the Patriots’ third running back spot, which is one of a few position battles taking place this summer, slip in New England’s preseason opener last week against the Indianapolis Colts.
Given another chance Saturday night against the Philadelphia Eagles that he should hold the position, Larison seized his opportunity.
Larison was one of the Patriots’ more productive skill players in a [narrow 24-21 preseason win](https://www.bostonherald.com/2026/08/22/best-and-worst-what-we-learned-from-patriots-24-21-preseason-win-over-eagles/) over the Eagles at Gillette Stadium. The 2025 undrafted free agent out of UC Davis finished with nine carries for 33 yards with a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter and also added three receptions for 41 yards
“I felt like Lan certainly had a good performance, a gritty, tough performance tonight, and did some really good things,” Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said.
If Larison ends up winning the third running back job, he can point to a series in the second half that separated him from the competition.
Larison extended a scoring drive for the Patriots when Vrabel decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 from midfield with 2:10 to go in the third quarter. Larison backed up his coach’s decision by plunging forward for the first down, despite being initially greeted by a wall of Eagles defenders.
And then in an obvious passing situation later in the drive with the Patriots facing third-and-9 from the Eagles 12-yard line, Larison was the trusted option again, taking a handoff off the left side for a 10-yard gain. One play later, Larison dove into the end zone for a touchdown.
“It is fourth-and-1, and he gets hit behind the line of scrimmage and finds a way to get the first down,” Vrabel said. “And then we have another long pass, and then he makes (a move) and then he is able to break a couple tackles there in third down when we needed it at the end of the game, so he did some good things.”
Larison, 24, missed all of last season with a season-ending injury he suffered in the preseason opener, and is trying to beat out several other players contending at the same position.
It was a step in the right direction for Larison after he carried the ball seven times for just one yard last week against the Colts. His ability to catch the ball out of the back field, which he showed right away on the Patriots’ third offensive play by taking a screen pass for 28 yards, might just help him win the position battle. Besides for one catch from JaMychal Hasty, no other running back recorded a reception Saturday.
The other running backs vying with Larison for a roster spot had solid nights, but didn’t have as near of a standout performance. Jam Miller, a 2026 seventh-round pick out of Alabama, led all running backs with 36 yards rushing on a team-high 11 carries while Hasty (five carries, 12 yards) and Hassan Haskins (four carries, 16 yards) didn’t make much of a difference but have experience on their side as NFL veterans.
All four will probably see action in the Patriots final preseason game next week against the Cleveland Browns to help determine who wins the job.
“I just gotta keep going – it wasn’t all just me, it was the line as well, and the team,” Larison said. “We competed really well, and it was fun. It was a good time.”