Harris, who reportedly had surgery to repair his injured pinkie, is a candidate to be placed on the 2020 version of IR that allows players to return after three weeks, Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald reports.
Such a move is hardly a lock, but it's an option for the team if it feels that Harris could benefit from a cautious approach, with Sony Michel, James White and Rex Burkhead healthy as Week 1 approaches. Harris' strong training camp has him poised to carve out a role -- when healthy -- in the Patriots' backfield after limited usage as a rookie. In any case, until or unless long-term injuries or roster moves thin out the team's running back depth chart, a committee approach seems likely, with Michel the prime candidate for early-down work if Harris is unavailable to start the season.