It's getting harder and harder to envision James White being on the field for the Patriots in Week 1.
The veteran running back, working his way back from major hip surgery, has yet to practice during training camp and still is on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. As recently as mid-July, the 30-year-old was spotted sporting a noticeable limp.
On Wednesday morning, Jeff Howe of The Athletic offered an update on White's status.
"There's still no clear timetable for RB James White's return from hip surgery, per source," Howe wrote. "It's possible he remains on PUP to start the season, but the Patriots still have a few more weeks to evaluate his recovery and decide if he's ready to practice before the end of the season."
Though Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris both are capable of catching passes out of the backfield, New England still must find a traditional passing-down back to replace White if he begins the season on PUP or injured reserve. Through seven training camp practices, veteran hybrid back Ty Montgomery looks like the favorite to win the job. His abilities on special teams could make him a solid replacement for Brandon Bolden, too.
Rookies Pierre Strong and Kevin Harris also are in the running, as is third-year back J.J. Taylor, but all first must convince Bill Belichick that they can be trusted in passing situations.
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