The New England Patriots were clearly not thrilled with their options for the third spot on the running back depth chart, because they just went out and traded for Corey Kiner from the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday. New England sent a seventh-round pick in the 2028 NFL Draft to Arizona to bring Kiner aboard. This isn’t some minor roster adjustment, folks; it’s a clear signal that the competition for that role had zero obvious winners during camp, and the Patriots had to look outside the building.
Who Exactly Is Corey Kiner?
So, who is Kiner, and why did the Patriots give up future draft capital for him? He’s a 5-foot-9, 209-pound back who will slot in behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson on the depth chart. Kiner actually has some NFL experience, appearing in four games for Arizona last season. The Cardinals snatched him off the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad in December, and he made his limited opportunities count: 12 carries for 58 yards, averaging a solid 4.8 yards per attempt, plus two catches for 15 yards and one 22-yard kickoff return.
But Kiner really started making noise in the 2026 preseason. He finished with 15 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown, a 1-yard power run in the Hall of Fame Game. He followed that up with another strong showing in Arizona’s preseason finale, rushing five times for 35 yards, including a 16-yard burst. This guy’s a grinder, too; he went undrafted in 2025, bounced from the 49ers with an injury, hit the Vikings’ practice squad, and then landed on Arizona’s active roster before this latest move. His college tape is legit, rushing for over 1,000 yards in each of his final two seasons at Cincinnati, with 1,047 yards and five touchdowns in 2023, and 1,153 yards and four scores in 2024. He knows how to produce.
What This Means for New England’s Backfield Battle
This trade is a huge, direct message to everyone else in that Patriots running back room. Stevenson and Henderson were always locked in, but that third spot was a mess after Terrell Jennings landed on injured reserve. Hassan Haskins, Lan Larison, Jam Miller, and JaMycal Hasty were all clawing for the job, but clearly, none of them did enough to impress Coach Mike Vrabel. Giving up a draft pick, even a late future one, tells you Vrabel and the Patriots absolutely believe Kiner is a more reliable option. They value his physical running style, and his college production backs up that assessment.
New England shelled out a small price, but the implication for the other backs on the roster is massive. The team went outside the organization to fix a position that was totally unsettled at the end of the preseason. Kiner now has a clear path to playing time, and the pressure is on him to lock down that third spot and bring the stability the Patriots are clearly desperate for in their backfield.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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