Patriots: N’Keal Harry injury concerns emerge ahead of Week 2

Patriots WR N’Keal Harry is injured ahead of Week 2 against the Seahawks.

Second-year Patriots wideout N’Keal Harry’s second season was already on thin ice entering Week 2. Despite his QB Cam Newton’s effusive praise for the wideout’s continued development, his fumble out of the back of the end zone on a clear scoring drive was the only blemish on Week 1.

Now, entering a primetime battle with the Seattle Seahawks, Harry has ended up on the injury report, along with several other prominent names.

The only Patriot who’s been ruled out is Josh Uche (which, uh, explains the Week 1 scratch), but Harry has arrived alongside Julian Edelman as a question mark entering the pivotal matchup.

After a shortened debut season, shaved to just seven games (five starts) by a preseason ankle injury, Harry was one of only two Patriots wideouts to be targeted whatsoever in Week 1 (alongside the hobbled Edelman).

Clearly, based on the way his quarterback speaks about him, a major part of the 2020 game plan is developing Harry’s usefulness on the outside.

However, it’s ominous that it only took one week for a new issue to crop up, especially with the Boston media spotlight shining its brightest on the selection of Harry, a rare first-round wideout under Bill Belichick.

Whatever this setback turns out to be, it won’t be career-defining on its own.

But Harry has a unique opportunity presented to him in 2020: a chance for an almost-complete restart in New England, with a new quarterback (!) under center. No more worrying about living up to Tom Brady’s high expectations in the twilight of his career. All Harry has to do is grow together with the nurturing new face who intends to get him the ball.

Then again, the Era of Good Feelings never lasts long in a championship-or-bust region such as New England, and that first-round tag might as well be stamped in bright red next to Harry’s name every time he appears on the injury report.

Week 1? A game-altering fumble and postgame words of encouragement from his QB. Week 2? An injury designation. Thus far, these are the sad facts of Harry’s second season, with plenty of targets still available if he can grab them.

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