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Many are surprised James White is still with the New England Patriots after so many years. Well, his future is now in question thanks to a hip injury suffered during the loss to the New Orleans Saints.
When will the running back play again? If he doesn't play, what will the team do to fill the gap he leaves in the backfield?
James White's injury status
On Monday, White was listed as doubtful for Week 4, according to CBS Sports. However, according to Ian Rappoport, White is expected to be in worse shape. He has a "subluxation" on his hip and is expected to be out indefinitely. This will likely mean a stint on injured reserve. His season doesn't appear to be over, but it will be severely impacted in the grand scheme.
At this point, it seems the odds are good that he will return by the end of the season. That said, the Patriots will be without their main second-string running back for quite some time. In his place, the Patriots are expected to move up Brandon Bolden and J.J. Taylor one spot on the depth chart.
The Patriots could also bring Rhamondre Stevenson into the fold. Stevenson had an electric preseason in which he scored three touchdowns and earned 89 yards. The Patriots may also lean heavier on Damien Harris, the starting running back for the team.
Last season, Harris rushed 137 times for 691 yards and two touchdowns. Thus far, Harris has a great shot at having his best year yet. That said, the Patriots forgot about him as they attempted to throw their way past the New Orleans Saints. In the game, Harris only rushed six times for 14 yards.
In Week 1, Harris had his best game, in which he rushed 23 times for 100 yards. Week 2 was a slight downgrade where he rushed 16 times for 62 yards and a touchdown. The Saints game was his worst performance. With the injury to White, Harris will need to buck the downward trend and breakout for a big performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If Harris has a rough game next week, considering James White's existential absence, the Patriots' backfield may have a big problem. If the backfield is an issue, it will hurt Mac Jones' safety valve. If Jones doesn't have a safety valve, his turnovers could continue. This snowball effect could result in an ineffective offense in 2021. The game could be huge for the shaky 1-2 Patriots.
