A significant roster overhaul is underway for the Buffalo Bills in anticipation of the 2024 NFL season.
Running back Damien Harris was a free agent, so it was uncertain what was in store for him.
However, the seasoned player has made the decision to hang up his spikes.
On Instagram, the 27-year-old revealed the unexpected news and wrote that he “found the strength to walk away from the game I love so much.”
“Playing the game of football has been one of the greatest privileges of my life for the past 20 years,” Harris wrote. Being able to represent the team on the back of my shirt both on and off the field, competing at the top level and taking titles from the best opponents.”
The Alabama graduate was thankful to have been “coached by 2 greatest head coaches of all time in Nick Saban and Bill Belichick.” He was originally selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.” He claimed that these experiences were “just a small part of what God has done in my life with the game of football.”
The two-time college champ went on to thank “every person that has been a part of and will continue to be a part of this journey. From his hometown in Brassfield, Kentucky to Buffalo, New York, he thanked “every teammate, every coach, every fan” and more. The veteran closed his message by thanking his “extraordinary wife,” who recently gave birth to their first child, a boy named Damien II.
Harris played in 44 games and started 34 of them during his five years in the NFL. In addition to 42 receptions for 297 yards, he ran 472 times for 2,188 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Damien Harris Missed the Bulk of the 2023 NFL Season After Suffering a Scary Neck Injury
In March of last year, Harris made his Bills debut. He did, however, miss the most of the 2023 NFL season due to a frightening neck injury he sustained in Week 6 against the New York Giants.
It was a scary scene as Harris lay motionless on the ground, surrounded by his teammates. An ambulance drove onto the field at Highmark Stadium to rush the 26-year-old to Erie County Medical Center. Harris was thankfully able to give a thumbs-up on his way out. The Bills announced during the third quarter that Harris had movement in all his extremities.
Following his release from the hospital on October 16, Harris posted a message on Instagram, thanking Bills Mafia for all their support.
Harris was seeking a new beginning in Buffalo due to his extensive history of injuries. He said in July to The Buffalo News that things “weren’t easy from the beginning.” “I didn’t play my first year in New England,” Harris recalled of his benching experience.
