Patriots Rumors: Damien Harris Likely to Miss Multiple Games with Hamstring Injury

The New England Patriots are already missing starting quarterback Mac Jones as he recovers from an ankle sprain, and another key player has reportedly been bitten by the injury bug.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Patriots running back Damien Harris "is likely to miss multiple games" because of a hamstring injury he suffered in Sunday's win over the Detroit Lions. Harris is still being evaluated with further tests, but Pelissero stated "the expectation is he'll be out for a bit."

Harris ran the ball four times for 11 yards and caught a pass for one yard before exiting Sunday's game in the first half. He was ruled out at halftime and replaced by Rhamondre Stevenson, who carried the ball 25 times for 161 yards as the Patriots won 29-0.

A fourth-year running back out of Alabama, Harris enjoyed a stellar season in 2021. He totaled 1,061 yards from scrimmage and 15 rushing touchdowns.

Through the first four games of the 2022 season, Harris and Stevenson split carries in the New England backfield. Entering Sunday's game, Harris had carried the ball 53 times while Stevenson registered 43 carries. They were the only two running backs in uniform against the Lions, so Stevenson's performance after Harris went down garnered substantial praise.

"You've got to give him a ton of credit. With Damien out, we only carry two backs for the game. He put it all on his shoulders and finished with a couple first downs there at the end of the game in the four-minute offense," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said after the game.

With Harris out, the only other healthy running back on the New England roster is rookie Pierre Strong Jr. The 2022 fourth-round pick hasn't seen any action this season and was a healthy scratch against Detroit.

The Patriots will look to keep the momentum going Sunday when they visit the Cleveland Browns.