The New England Patriots have elevated two veterans ahead of their Week 10 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Johnson, 29, will add depth to the running back room after veteran Rhamondre Stevenson was ruled out for his second consecutive game. Johnson will join rookie TreVeyon Henderson and Terrell Jennings in Tampa Bay. Stevenson suffered a toe injury during the Week 8 matchup against the Titans and hasn’t practiced in two weeks.
Johnson was elevated last week against the Atlanta Falcons and will have his second opportunity on the active roster. He signed to the practice squad after Stevenson’s injury. The South Carolina product has played in 96 NFL games, recording 989 rushing yards on 215 carries and adding 465 receiving yards on 53 catches. Johnson most recently played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens. Last week, he logged five snaps, all coming on special teams.
The Patriots are also elevating veteran linebacker Darius Harris. This will mark Harris’s second roster elevation, with his first coming against the Carolina Panthers, when he recorded two tackles. The 29-year-old entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and has spent time with the Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, and Dallas Cowboys. With linebacker Christian Elliss inactive due to injury, Harris could see an expanded role. The Middle Tennessee State product has played in 38 career games with six starts, totaling 55 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
The Patriots have already ruled out running back Rhamondre Stevenson, wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, and linebacker Christian Elliss. However, the Buccaneers are also missing key offensive players, including receiver Chris Godwin and running back Bucky Irving. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. ET.
My name is Ben Belford-Peltzman and I am the creator and writer of The Patriots Beat. I am a 19-year kid who is an optimistic pessimist about the City of Champions. I started The Patriots Beat in August of 2022 and never expected to grow so much but here we are. Feel free to email Ben.BelfordPeltzman@gmail.com with any inquires.
