The New England Patriots‘ magical run to the Super Bowl ended with a dud, as the team turned in a lifeless performance against the Seattle Seahawks. After the game, TreVeyon Henderson was paid a visit by his former Ohio State Buckeyes teammate, Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
After a quiet start to his rookie season, Henderson turned a corner midway through the year and ended up finishing with some strong numbers (180 CAR, 911 YDS, 9 TD, 35 REC, 221 YDS, 1 TD). However, once the playoffs rolled around, he quickly became an afterthought on offense, with Rhamondre Stevenson leading the way at running back.
Regardless of his involvement on offense, losing the Super Bowl hurts, and Henderson was understandably upset after the clock struck zero. However, he was quickly consoled by Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks’ star wide receiver, as he went out of his way to find Henderson before he retreated to the locker room.
Henderson and Smith-Njigba spent two years together at Ohio State, and now, they are starring in the NFL for their respective teams. While Henderson was in contention for the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, Smith-Njigba took home the Offensive Player of the Year Award after enjoying a breakout season with Seattle (119 REC, 1,793 YDS, 10 TD).
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Smith-Njigba is rightfully celebrating this massive accomplishment, but on the other hand, Henderson is set to embark on a very important offseason of work. While he is capable of ripping off a big play anytime he touches the ball, he needs to work on becoming more consistent on a play-by-play basis.
The good news is that Henderson, like many of the other players on the Patriots’ roster, is still young. So if he can continue to grow and develop over the offseason, New England could return and prove in 2026 that this Super Bowl run wasn’t a fluke.
Featured image via Darren Yamashita/Imagn Images
