FOXBORO, Mass. — How big of a loss is James White for the New England Patriots?
“Huge.”
That’s the word veteran safety Devin McCourty used to describe White’s hip injury, which reportedly will sideline him for the rest of the 2021 season.
White is both one of the Patriots’ most important offensive players — he was leading the team in catches and receiving yards at the time of his injury and has a long track record of top-end production — and one of their most respected leaders, serving as a team captain for each of the last four seasons.
McCourty, a fellow co-captain, said White’s “legacy” will continue to be felt inside Patriots’ facility while the 29-year-old running back recovers.
“James is the quiet leader,” McCourty said Wednesday. “(Offensive coordinator) Josh McDaniels would always say he’s the guy that when I tell him to do something, he’s always going to do it right. So I can point to him and say, can we do it like James is doing it? Can we have a bunch of guys do it like James White does? But I think the key thing with guys like that is they’re always around.
“The lessons that he’s imparted and told to Damien (Harris), to J.J. (Taylor) — you talk about legacy and different things like that, I think you’ll see pieces of James White and who he is and what he’s done for the organization. You’ll see that all year. You’ll see it this week, you’ll see it next week, because who he is carries throughout the whole locker room. Obviously, not having a guy like that out there on the field, it hurts (us) as a team, but I always say when a guy gets hurt, you feel for the guy because of how much work goes into being prepared, being ready to go, the expectations of a season.
“He had gotten off to a great start. He helps us out tremendously on offense. You just hate to see the long road to recovery that you know comes with being injured, but he’s one of the toughest people that I’ve ever been around, so I know he’ll bounce back and he’ll be good, and he’ll be here supporting the team any way he can. He’s the definition of a leader. (It’s an) unfortunate blow for him, but I know he’ll be OK.”
Rookie quarterback Mac Jones and center and co-captain David Andrews shared similar tributes.
“He knows what all 11 guys are doing,” Jones said. “That’s from experience, the trust he’s earned and the work he’s put in. So it’s going to be a bummer not to have him, but he’s a great player, and hopefully we can play for him and play like he plays, and that’s smart, tough and dependable.”
“It’s the worst part of this business,” Andrews added, “for someone especially like James who we all love. He’s a great teammate and obviously a great player, but just a better person to have in our locker room. It’s terrible, and I hate it for him because I know how hard he worked. … He’s one of the toughest people we’ve got, so I know he’ll bounce back.”
The Patriots will need second-year pro Taylor and rookie Rhamondre Stevenson to take on larger roles in White’s absence and could put more responsibilities on lead back Damien Harris’s plate. The team also has explored outside options to fortify this group, working out four free-agent running backs on Tuesday.
New England is preparing to host the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday night at Gillette Stadium.
