NFL Rumors: Should the New England Patriots consider signing Todd Gurley after James White's season-ending injury?

James White has been a mainstay as a backup running back for the New England Patriots for the past eight seasons. He was drafted by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft and since then, has been extremely valuable on the field as well as inside the locker room.

White is indicative of what the Patriots culture is all about: Come in, work hard, do your job, and the rest will take care of itself. Perhaps this is why reports of a season-ending injury for White on Wednesday hit the Patriots nation harder than many would expect.

It has been reported that James White will miss the remainder of the 2021-2022 NFL season with a hip injury. The injury occurred on his only carry from the previous game when the Patriots played the New Orleans Saints.

Can James White's presence be replaced by Todd Gurley?

With the injury to White and the recent trade of former Patriots running back Sony Michel to the Los Angeles Rams, will the Patriots look to free agent running back Todd Gurley to come to the rescue?

Gurley is most certainly no stranger to an NFL backfield. As a rookie with the then St. Louis Rams in 2015, Gurley was nothing short of spectacular. He rushed for 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns, which was enough to garner him his first Pro Bowl selection.

He was also awarded the NFL Rookie of the Year award, beating out fellow rookie quarterback Jameis Winston.

Gurley's career would unfortunately come to a screeching halt due to numerous injuries to his knee and lower extremities. Gurley was released in March 2020 by the Rams and he signed a one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons on April 6, 2020.

His one year with the Falcons was seen as a disappointment by Gurley's standards. He was released after the season and has been a free agent since then.

James White: The dual-threat running back

The loss of James White leaves the Patriots a bit thin in the running back position. Damien Harris is the lead back with Brandon Bolden currently slated to be the back that catches passes, which was the specialty of White.

Since 2015, White has had more receiving yards and receiving touchdowns than any other running back.

This speaks volumes to the importance that White has on the field. When Tom Brady was with the team, James White was often a safety valve when pressure got too close to home.

If Todd Gurley is signed by the Patriots, they will not expect him to be his former All-Pro self, but to come in and be a Patriot. That means just do your job.

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