FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — As the New England Patriots return to the practice fields following their victory over the Washington Commanders their 2025 preseason opener, they will be doing so without the services of a promising rookie running back.
Undrafted free agent Lan Larison, who played a key role in the Pats 48-18 win on Friday at Gillette Stadium, is being placed on injured reserve. As a corresponding roster move, the Pats are signing veteran running back Deneric Prince, as reported Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.
Larison headed to the locker room shortly after scoring a touchdown at the 3:25 mark in the fourth quarter,. He was later spotted wearing a walking boot in the locker room, before undergoing further tests to determine the severity of the injury.
New England Patriots running back Lan Larison (34) rushes against the Washington Commanders.
Aug 8, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots running back Lan Larison (34) rushes against the Washington Commanders during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Larison signed with the Patriots as a undrafted free agent after going unselected in the 2025 NFL draft. The Idaho native carved out an impressive college career at UC Davis, lending to a great deal of buzz surrounding his post-draft free agency. The 23-year-old was named second-team All-Big Sky Conference during his freshman season. He repeated as a second team All-Big Sky selection as a sophomore after rushing for 255 yards and three touchdowns, catching 18 passes for 241 yards and one touchdown, and returning 23 kickoffs for 688 yards and one touchdown.
Larison was once again honored for his efforts by being named first-team All-Conference as a junior. He was named the Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year after rushing for 1,101 yards and 13 touchdowns. Larison used the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes due to the COVID-19 pandemic and returned for a fifth season in 2024.
Larison had earned a great deal of offseason attention, due to his dual-threat capabilities. In his preseason debut on Friday, he finished just one yard behind starting back Rhamondre Stevenson for the team lead with 35 yards on seven carries. Larison also scored the Pats final touchdown of the night — a two-yard rush capping a nine-play, 65-yard drive.
In addition to Stevenson and the newly-signed Prince, the Patriots feature rookie TreVeyon Henderson, veteran Antonio Gibson and reserve journeymen Terrell Jennings and JaMycal Hasty on the positional depth chart.
While Larison’s season has come to a premature end, the Patriots will practice in Foxborough on Sunday and Monday, before traveling to Minneapolis for joint practices with the Minnesota Vikings. Both the Pats and Vikings are scheduled to play preseason game 2 on Saturday, Aug. 16 at 1:00pm ET at U.S. Bank Stadium.
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