Over the course of five seasons, NFL running back Damien Harris appeared in 44 games between the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots, starting 34 of those games. Harris, who is 27 years old, declared his retirement from the NFL on Monday. He issued a statement saying,
“For the past 20 years, playing the game of football has been one of the greatest privileges in my life,”
“Getting to represent the name on the back of my jersey on and off the field getting to compete at the highest level with and against the best competitors while winning championships, and being coached by the 2 greatest head coaches of all time in Nick Saban and Bill Belichick are all just a small part of what God has done in my life with the game of football.”
Damien Harris’s journey in NFL
After the draft in 2019, the Patriots chose Harris in the third round. Before he was granted the chance to start in his second year, he participated in two games during his rookie year with New England.
With 2,094 rushing yards, 20 rushing touchdowns, and 40 receptions for 281 yards, he concluded his career with the Patriots.
He had action in six games with the Bills in 2023, totaling 94 running yards and one touchdown. After sustaining a neck sprain against the New York Giants, his season was cut short. He was driven in an ambulance from the field.
“The people I’ve met, the places I’ve been and will go on to go, the experiences and memories I’ve made, the impact I’ve been able to make to this point, these are the things that mean the most to me. “Gratitude is defined as ‘the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.’ Today, I am grateful I have found the strength to walk away from the game I love so much.”