Patriots: Damien Harris injury update suggests backfield could be in trouble
Patriots fans got a surprising injury update on Damien Harris on Thursday morning.
The New England Patriots have done all they could over the last six months to offset the constant string of bad news, but Bill Belichick and Co. can’t seem to out-run all of it. As if the roster turnover and excessive string of opt-outs weren’t enough, the Pats have now been hit with a troubling injury update.
Running back Damien Harris, who was slated to be the starter Week 1 as Sony Michel continues to work his way back from offseason surgery, reportedly suffered a hand injury that now puts his status for the season opener in jeopardy.
Harris, who has been shining in training camp, missed the last two practices and, based on this report, it’s clear he probably won’t be returning to the field for a little while.
News story: Patriots RB Damien Harris is dealing with a hand injury, per source, which could affect his availability for the season opener. He's missed the last two practices. https://t.co/9qpKRweK8X
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 3, 2020
The “good” news is that the Patriots still have Lamar Miller — who was signed recently and just activated off the PUP — James White and Rex Burkhead ready to fill in. All of those guys are capable of carrying the backfield in the meantime, but Harris was supposed to be the downhill bruiser in place of Michel. Right now, the Pats have no power runner.
Miller has experience as a No. 1 back, but he’s more of a dual-threat type and he’s coming off an ACL tear. Though he was a Pro Bowler with the Houston Texans back in 2018, he missed all of last season with the injury, so he’s been away from the game for quite a while. Nonetheless, it could end up being a shrewd pickup by the Pats.
#Patriots RB Damien Harris, who has missed the last two days of work, recently had surgery on his pinky finger, and it’ll take a few weeks to heal, source said. @MikeReiss first mentioned the hand injury, which means the potential key RB may miss the opener.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 3, 2020
The loss of Harris still stings, though. The 2019 third-round pick, who barely contributed last season due to injuries and healthy scratches, was ready to break out in 2020 due to the circumstances in the Patriots backfield. We’ve seen what he was able to do as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide and fans were hopeful that could translate to the NFL.
But this isn’t the end of the world. Belichick can have a blast rotating running backs in the meantime to throw off opposing defenses. The only problem is the lack of carries all of these current active backs have had over the last few years. White has just carries over the last three years and Burkhead has 186.
Perhaps Miller can save the day. Since debuting in 2012, the veteran has 1,354 carries to his name, which averages to 193 per season. Assuming he’s fully healthy and grasping the playbook well, don’t be surprised if he’s lining up behind Cam Newton Week 1.
