PRO FOOTBALL : DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NFL : Patriots’ Stephens Wants to Be Traded

Running back John Stephens, who has held out for two weeks, said he would rather play for another team and formally asked the New England Patriots to trade him.

“I believe he has played his last game as a Patriot,” said Robert Fayne, Stephens’ agent.

But Fayne said the Patriots have made trading Stephens difficult by considering a trade only if they receive two No. 1 draft picks and an additional veteran. “Nobody in the NFL is worth that much,” Fayne said.

Stephens played three years for New England. Despite a nagging ankle injury and a bruised knee last season, he led the team in rushing with 808 yards and scored two touchdowns.

“I played 16 games last year banged up, hurt. Whatever they asked me to do I did to the best that I was able to do under those circumstances,” Stephens said. “And that’s all I’m asking of the Patriots to do for me, is to be fair.”

The Patriots went 1-15 last season.

Stephens has been holding out for more than two weeks and contract talks with the team have stalled. The Patriots question Stephens’ worth in terms of other backs in the NFL, yet they offered to increase his $450,000 salary from a year ago to $750,000 per year. Fayne wants Stephens to get $1.1 million annually.