Running back James White is trying to come back from a hip injury that ended his 2021 season and he was not a full participant at Patriots workouts this spring.
White was strictly in rehab mode as he waits to receive full clearance for a return to football activities. The wait for that clearance could leave White without a spot on the team’s 53-man roster to open the season.
Mike Reiss of ESPN.com left White off his most recent projection for the Patriots’ season-opening roster while noting that he’s a candidate for the regular season version of the physically unable to perform list.
In a change to the rules this year, any player placed on that list at the start of the season must remain on it for four games before they can be added to the active roster. It was previously six weeks. Players on the training camp PUP list cannot take part in practice, but are eligible to be activated at any time.
Damien Harris, Rhamondre Stevenson, fourth-round pick Pierre Strong Jr., and sixth-round pick Kevin Harris are the backs that Reiss projects to be on the initial Patriots roster.