Getty Bills running back Damien Harris on September 24, 2023.
The Buffalo Bills were off to an unexpectedly dreadful start against the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football, and things took a turn for the worse when running back Damien Harris went down with a neck injury with 3:15 left in the second quarter.
A stretcher was brought out for Harris, 26, who was not moving after that play. An ambulance drove onto the field at Highmark Stadium on Sunday Night Football and Harris was carefully placed on a backboard, per NFL analyst Ari Meirov.
Harris gave a thumbs on his way out of Highmark Stadium, which is a great sign. The Bills announced, “Damien Harris (neck) is out for the game. He has movement in his arms and legs. Harris is being taken to hospital for further testing.”
UPDATE: ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg posted on Monday, Otober 16, “Source tells @JFowlerESPN that Damien Harris has been released from a local hospital and has neck pain, ‘but otherwise is going to be fine.'”
The scene was quite emotional for Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who was inactive for the primetime matchup. While sitting on the sidelines, Hamlin struggled to keep his emotions in check during the scary situation.
Damar Hamlin with all the real, deep emotions about what he went through back on January 2, with his Bills teammate Damien Harris on the ground, in the latest frightening #NFL injury 🤍
Thus far this season, Harris has recorded 22 rushes for 93 yards and one touchdown.
Damien Harris Has Lengthy Injury History, Was Excited for a Fresh Start in Buffalo
GettyFormer Patriots running back Damien Harris at Gillette Stadium on September 25, 2022.
The former third-round pick from the 2019 NFL draft spent the first four seasons of his career with the New England Patriots before signing with the Bills this offseason.
In an interview with The Buffalo News in July, Harris got brutally honest about his tenure with the Patriots.
The two-time college national champion out of Alabama said things “weren’t easy from the beginning,” as he spent his rookie season on the bench. “My first year, I didn’t play,” Harris said. In 2019, he appeared in just two games and tallied four rushes for 12 yards.
“My second year, I started out banged up, ended up banged up,” he said. During the 2020 NFL season, Harris missed a slew of games due to a broken finger and then an ankle injury. However, he started all 10 games he appeared in, recording 137 rushes for 691 yards and two touchdowns, along with five receptions for 52 yards.
In 2021, Harris put up career-high numbers with 202 rushes for 929 yards and 15 touchdowns, along with 18 receptions for 132 yards in 15 games. However, the running back was again hampered with injuries last season and appeared in just 11 games. He recorded 106 rushes for 462 yards and three touchdowns, along with 17 receptions for 97 yards.
Despite his injury history, Bills head coach Sean McDermott was excited to sign Harris from the jump. “I just love the combination of size, some power, and speed,” McDermott said, per CBS Sports.
Damien Harris Is Expected His First Child With His Wife
While Bills Mafia prays Harris is okay, several fans and analysts thought about the running back’s wife, who’s pregnant with their first child. The couple married in June while on vacation in Santorini, Greece.
The Buffalo News’ Katherine Fitzgerald posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, “This s*** sucks. Awful for it to happen to anyone, obviously. damien harris truly one of the kindest guys. he and his wife were having a gender reveal on friday. praying he’s ok and for good news quickly.”