Darius Harris beat the odds a long, long time ago.
When the Kansas City Chiefs first extended Harris an offer to join the roster back in 2019, the former Middle Tennessee State linebacker went farther than the average undrafted prospect trying to make his professional dreams come true. That Harris would go on to a long career in Kansas City was a tremendous achievement and testament to his talent and hard work.
These days, Harris is still finding ways to extend his career, even as he's head to learn new systems and ingratiate himself with new teammates and coaches. Most recently, Harris is earning playing time with the New England Patriots as a linebacker on the team's practice squad earning time on the active roster on game days.
Harris was promoted from the practice squad to play on _Thursday Night Football_ for the Pats against the New York Jets in Week 11. It was the third call-up for Harris this season, which means, as a vested veteran, the Patriots now have to place Harris on their 53-man active roster in order to use him on special teams any more. That could mean more money and security for Harris in the very near future.
Darius Harris has been a solid special teams contributor for the New England Patriots this season.
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The Patriots clearly like what Harris brings as a core four player, and he learned the art of providing quality reps in coverage under Dave Toub's leadership in K.C. With the Chiefs, Harris played four full seasons after missing his entire rookie campaign as an injury stash. From 2020-24, Harris played in 33 regular-season games with the Chiefs and made an impact on both special teams and defense.
The most surprising season for Harris in his seven-year career came in 2022, when he ended up starting four games for K.C., with 43 total tackles and 1.5 sacks in 291 snaps. Following his five-year stint in Kansas City, Harris suited up for the Dallas Cowboys in 2024 as a special teams contributor for four games before hitting New England in '25.
It's unknown whether Harris will finish the season with the Patriots' practice squad since he's out of promotions, or whether the team will elevate him for the rest of the year. Either way, it's impressive to see Harris still making his mark in the league seven years after the Chiefs gave the linebacker a chance to realize his dream.