New England Patriots’ Backfield Begins Training Camp In Wait-And-See Situation With James White

The New England Patriots will return to the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, but James White finds himself on a different schedule.

The 30-year-old running back was among five veterans placed on physically unable to perform in advance of training camp. The transaction followed last September’s right hip subluxation against the New Orleans Saints, which required surgery and ended his 2021 campaign three games in.

White continues to count on New England’s active roster while on the list this summer. Along with center David Andrews, linebacker Raekwon McMillan, cornerback Jonathan Jones and safety Jabrill Peppers, he is eligible to begin practicing at any time during camp.

Should that not come to fruition before NFL clubs reduce from 90 to 53 players, however, the minimum PUP time missed to begin the regular season has been reduced from six to four weeks.

It is a wait-and-see situation. The depth chart has been built for contingency plans.

New England selected South Dakota State’s Pierre Strong Jr. in the fourth round and South Carolina’s Kevin Harris in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft. The rookie rushers bring new-school speed and old-school strength to a backfield that also includes starter Damien Harris, sophomore Rhamondre Stevenson and 5-foot-6 former undrafted understudy J.J. Taylor.

The coming weeks will provide a glimpse into how the offense can move the chains without its safety valve. It was core special-teamer Brandon Bolden who stepped in as the primary passing back last fall before departing for the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency. It is youth tasked with picking up the blitzes, slip screens and wheel routes now.

Stevenson displayed smooth hands and footwork as a rookie, catching 14 passes for 123 yards while adding five touchdowns on the ground. Taylor, who has appeared in 11 career games, attended offseason throwing sessions with quarterback Mac Jones and New England’s wideouts. And of the latest draft investments, Strong projects as an explosive change of pace. The Jackrabbits product led all running backs at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 40-yard-dash time of 4.37 seconds after leading the FCS with 1,668 rushing yards as a redshirt senior.

But White stands as a four-time team captain, three-time Super Bowl champion and franchise All-Decade selection. He stands with 381 receptions, 3,278 yards and 25 receiving touchdowns since arriving in the fourth round back in 2014. And prior to 2021, the Wisconsin product also stood with the highest totals in all three of those categories by any running back around the league dating back to 2015.

The Patriots re-signed White to a two-year contract in March that carries a base value of $5 million and up to $2 million in incentives. He has $500,000 in guaranteed salary and $575,000 in combined roster bonuses. According to OverTheCap.com, his cap charges check in at $1.52 million for 2022 and $2.5 million for 2023.

The terms reflect the unknowns in the rehab process.

Through two contests last fall, White led New England with 12 catches for 94 yards on 13 targets. The longest-tenured running back on the roster also turned nine carries into 32 yards and a touchdown.