On In Sunday night's 14-9 win over the New York Giants at Highmark Stadium , Buffalo Bills running back Damien Harris was at the center of the NFL world after suffering an extremely scary neck injury.
Harris remained down on the field unable to get up for several minutes and was eventually taken off the field in an ambulance. He was discharged from the hospital with nothing more than some lingering neck pain, but that doesn't take away from how scary the injury was at the time. It was especially concerning for the Bills after having safety Damar Hamlin, who was visibly shaken on the sideline while Harris was down, suffer a similarly frightening injury just nine months earlier.
Following the injury, Harris received an outpouring of support from across the league. One particularly special gesture came from his former teammate in New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, who reached out via a thoughtful text.
"Yeah, I did see that. I texted him and it sounds like he's doing good," Jones told reporters on Wednesday. "So, Damien's definitely one of my good friends and he's a great football player and has played a lot of plays in this league and for us as a Patriot, so I have a lot of respect for him and his family and everybody."
Harris played in New England from 2019 to 2022, with the final two years coming alongside Jones. The former third-round pick was the Patriots' feature back for a while, but injuries and other running backs emerging, namely Rhamondre Stevenson, Harris' role in the offense gradually waned.
That development led him to sign with the Bills this offseason, and he has served as a rotational back so far. In his first six games in Buffalo, Harris rushed for 94 yards and a touchdown.
Harris and the Bills will travel to face his former team on Sunday, but it's very likely that he won't be available for that game.
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