For the second-straight week, the Patriots are elevating two veteran players from their practice squad.
On Thursday, hours ahead of their matchup with the New York Jets, the Patriots called up linebacker Darius Harris and running back D’Ernest Johnson from their practice squad. This marks the third elevation for both players, and the second week in a row, the Patriots will use Harris and Johnson.
These moves come after the Patriots ruled out four starters on Wednesday: running back Rhamondre Stevenson (toe), linebacker Christian Elliss (hip), receiver Kayshon Boutte (hamstring), and tight end Austin Hooper (concussion).
Johnson, 29, signed with the Patriots practice squad on Oct. 29, one day after being released by the Arizona Cardinals. A veteran running back of seven seasons, he’s played in 98 career NFL games, rushing for 990 yards with three touchdowns. Johnson has also caught 53 passes in his career for 465 yards.
Johnson ran for a career-high 534 yards with the Cleveland Browns in 2021. He broke into the NFL with the Browns in 2019. In 2023 and 2024, he played two seasons in Jacksonville with the Jaguars.
With Stevenson missing the last three games with a toe injury, the Patriots have called upon Johnson to add depth to the running back position and special teams. He ran once last weekend in Tampa Bay for 1 yard. Johnson played 14 offensive snaps and five snaps on special teams for the Patriots.
At linebacker, with Elliss missing his second game, the Patriots call up Harris, who won three Super Bowl titles with the Kansas City Chiefs. The 29-year-old was a reserve linebacker and core special teamer for the Chiefs from 2020 to 2023. His best season came in 2022 when he played in all 17 games, making 43 tackles to go with 1.5 sacks.
Harris played in two Super Bowls for Kansas City: Super Bowl LVII and Super Bowl LV.
This season, the Patriots have used Harris as a core special teamer, playing 34 snaps against the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay.
With Johnson and Harris being elevated three times, they’ve reached the maximum number of times a player can be elevated from a practice squad. If the Patriots want to play either in a game this season, they’ll have to sign each player to their active roster.
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