BREAKING: Buffalo Bills Star Confirms Retirement after recent Social Media Post
After enduring a neck sprain that sidelined him for much of his sole season with the Buffalo Bills, Damien Harris, a five-year NFL veteran, has decided to retire from professional football. The announcement came through his Instagram account on Monday night.
Harris, who celebrated his 27th birthday in February, had a limited role during the 2023 NFL season with the Bills. He carried the ball 23 times for 94 yards, scoring one rushing touchdown, and caught two passes for 16 yards. The Bills had signed him aiming to alleviate pressure on quarterback Josh Allen, particularly in the red zone, as Harris had built a reputation for his powerful running style, accumulating 20 rushing touchdowns over four seasons with the New England Patriots. Unfortunately, his season took a drastic turn during Week 6 when he sustained a neck sprain in a game against the New York Giants.
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The severity of the injury required him to be taken off the field on a stretcher and transported by ambulance. Subsequently, he was placed on Injured Reserve and did not return to play for the Bills that season.
Originally drafted by the Patriots in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Harris had his most successful season in 2021, rushing for 929 yards and 15 touchdowns on 202 carries. Notably, in two matchups against the Bills that year, he rushed for a combined total of 214 yards and four touchdowns.
Having signed a one-year deal with the Bills last offseason, Harris became a free agent upon his retirement announcement. He and his wife celebrated the birth of their first child, a son, earlier in March.