Patriots make decision on Damien Harris ahead of crucial Bills matchup

Heading into the New England Patriots’ game Sunday against the Buffalo Bills listed as questionable with a hamstring injury, standout running back Damien Harris will suit up and play, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Patriots’ RB Damien Harris, listed as questionable for today due to a hamstring injury, will play vs. the Bills, per league source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 26, 2021

Harris, who suffered the injury in a Dec. 6 road game at Buffalo, was limited for the Patriots during practice this week leading up to Sunday’s game. He finished the Dec. 6 contest against the Bills with 10 carries for 111 yards and a touchdown but hasn’t played since.

Harris has put together a strong season for New England, as he’s tallied 164 carries for 754 yards and nine touchdowns. In his last five games, the former Alabama star has rushed for 317 yards and four touchdowns on 69 carries.

Harris – the third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft – and the Patriots (9-5) kickoff against the Bills (8-6) at 1 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. CBS will be carrying the national broadcast.

Stephon Gilmore calls out New England Patriots for handling of injury

Former New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore wasn’t pleased with the way the team handled his rehab from a quad injury. In a recent article from The Athletic, Gilmore criticized the Patriots staff for making him do too much.

“I didn’t show up there over the summer, so I was on the right track,” he said. “And then I show up there and start on all the unnecessary stuff. Like, right before I got traded, I ran like 3,000 yards in three days. Like a real workout. It’s like, why would you do all that right before you trade me? You don’t do that. Let me do it my way. I don’t know if they were trying to test (the leg) and see, I don’t know. I’m not the type of guy that says, ‘Oh, I don’t want to do that.’ I work hard. I do my stuff. I just think that wasn’t right.”

A former Pro Bowler, Gilmore underwent surgery for the injury last December. He anticipated working his way back to play for New England, but the team had other plans.

On Oct. 6, the Patriots traded Stephon Gilmore to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. He did not play a game for New England in 2021.

On3’s Chandler Vessels contributed to this report.