Report: Patriots re-sign veteran RB James White to two-year deal
The eight-year Patriots running back returns after a hip injury prematurely ended his 2021 season.
The Patriots are bringing back an important veteran presence to help Mac Jones and the offense.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday the team has preliminarily agreed to terms with running back James White on a two-year, $2.5 million deal.
The 30-year-old White returns to Foxborough after suffering a season-ending hip injury in New England’s loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 3 last year. Before that, he appeared to be back to his old productive self after a down 2020, totaling 132 yards (94 receiving, 38 rushing) and a touchdown on the ground before going down against the Saints.
The low amount of guaranteed money (just $500,000) on the deal likely gives the Patriots flexibility to cut ties with the veteran if he’s not physically up to standard this fall.
White joins Devin McCourty, Matthew Slater, Brian Hoyer, Nick Folk and James Ferentz as veterans the Patriots have elected to re-sign this offseason. Otherwise, the team has stayed entirely away from the free-agent market. The only other move Bill Belichick has made has been to trade outside linebacker Chase Winovich to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for Mack Wilson.
The running back’s return also suggests New England’s offense could have similar personnel as it did last season aside from a few tweaks (losing Ted Karras and possibly losing Trent Brown to free agency plus a few low-cost additions). Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson appear set to handle the early-down work while White can build on his relationship with Jones as a safety valve and mismatch out of the backfield.
After a large offseason overhaul last year, it looks like the Patriots are largely looking to keep the band together for another run in 2022.
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