Former Patriots RB Damien Harris says time in New England ‘wasn’t straightforward from the start’

Patriots

“My second 12 months, I began out banged up, ended up banged up.”

When he was on the sphere for the Patriots, Damien Harris was a productive working again, main the crew in dashing yards in each 2020 (691 yards) and 2021 (929 yards).

The problem for the 26-year-old again, nonetheless, was simply with the ability to keep on the sphere constantly.

After enjoying simply two video games as a rookie in 2019, Harris missed 14 video games over his final three seasons as a consequence of quite a lot of accidents.

Now a member of the Payments, Harris instructed the Buffalo Information’ Ryan O’Halloran that his time in New England “wasn’t straightforward from the start.” 

“My first 12 months, I didn’t play ,” Harris mentioned. “My second 12 months, I began out banged up, ended up banged up. Final 12 months, I used to be banged up.”

When he was wholesome, Harris had the entire makings of an influence again and a harmful 1-2 punch subsequent to New England’s present RB1 in Rhamondre Stevenson.

A reliable red-zone menace in 2021 (15 touchdowns), Harris was leapfrogged on the depth chart by Stevenson in 2022. He missed six complete video games final 12 months as a consequence of each hamstring and thigh accidents.

If Harris stays wholesome, he can probably kind an efficient tandem in Buffalo’s backfield subsequent to James Cook dinner. After shifting on from New England in free company, Harris will get loads of probabilities to try to stick it in opposition to his former crew in 2023.

“I all the time mentioned that enjoying in opposition to the Payments, I felt like introduced out the perfect in me as a competitor and as a participant,” Harris mentioned of his slot in Buffalo, per the Payments web site. “And from the skin wanting in as an opponent if I felt that method then I knew that if I used to be capable of be part of this group, I really feel like I might simply take it to a brand new top.”

With Harris becoming a member of an AFC East rival in Buffalo, the Patriots running-back group continues to be headlined by Stevenson, with second-year gamers in Pierre Sturdy Jr. and Kevin Harris on the lookout for bigger roles. Veteran Ty Montgomery has loads of potential as a third-down again after lacking most of final season as a consequence of harm.