2 min read • March 13, 2022
Posted in
James White, the 30-year-old receiving back, has spent all 8 seasons with the New England Patriots, but enters free agency with a lot of unknowns remaining.
He played just two full games before suffering a season-ending hip injury.
White’s injury was similar to the hip subluxation Ryan Fitzpatrick suffered and not as severe as the hip dislocation Tua Tagovailoa suffered at Alabama.
The hip injury is worrisome for a running back, especially relating to long-term issues like arthritis, labral issues and loss of blood flow to the femoral head, said Dr. David Chao, ProFootballDoc.
White will likely have limited value on the open market because of the potential for long-term hip issues, Chao said.
Even so, White should be ready for the start of 2022 as long as no avascular necrosis develops. Bo Jackson, the superhuman two-sport athlete, also suffered a hip dislocation when he was a running back for the Raiders. The necrosis that developed ended his football career and eventually his baseball career as well.
The hope is that’s not the case for White, who can still likely be productive as a pass catching back.
White signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Patriots last offseason and could be shaping up to return to New England on a short-term deal.
The Patriots do have running back depth in Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson and Brandon Bolden, but White is the most accomplished of the bunch.
From 2015 to 2020, White played in 89 of 96 games for the Patriots and averaged nearly 527 receiving yards per season, 200 rushing yards per season and a combined 6 touchdowns per season.
The former Wisconsin running back should have plenty left in the tank in the short-term as long as his hip heals correctly.
White joins free agent running backs David Johnson, James Conner, Leonard Fournette, Raheem Mostert, Rashaad Penny in seeking new contracts.
Written by
