The start of the NFL season is only a week away and the New England Patriots may be without one of their most anticipated offensive weapons for their week one matchup against the Miami Dolphins. 

Running back Damien Harris is reportedly questionable to play after suffering an injury to his pinky finger that required surgery. According to the Patriots organization, the finger will take a few weeks to heal before it is back to normal. Harris has not yet been officially ruled out, and a decision on his playing status by Patriots staff will likely be made much closer to game time.  

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This is potentially a setback for the former Alabama star who reports say was challenging fellow running back Sony Michel for the starting spot in the Patriots backfield. After a 3,070 yard, 23 touchdown career at UA, Harris recorded five carries for 12 yards for the Patriots in 2019 and was looking forward to an increased role in the New England offense in 2020. The good news is if Harris is kept out, it won’t be for long.However it will be more of an uphill battle to earn more reps in an already solid running back stable.

Losing Harris contributes to a concerning trend in Foxborough, as the Patriots are already dealing with a league-high eight opt outs due to COVID-19 concerns, including former Crimson Tide stando

ut and star linebacker Dont'a Hightower. 

The Patriots open the season against Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins on September 13th at 12:00 p.m. central on CBS.

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