N’Keal Harry returns to the place where his NFL journey started when the Chicago Bears take on the New England Patriots within the primetime spectacle that is Monday Night Football.
For Patriots fans, Harry is a first-round draft bust that fell short of the goals the team had when drafting him with the No. 32 overall pick of the 2019 NFL draft. However, for Bears fans, it’s a clean slate for a physically-gifted player that could potentially give them a boost as a blocker and red zone target.
Harry is fully aware of the narrative surrounding his return to New England, but he also refuses to get caught up in it. When asked what he believes went wrong for him during his wildly disappointing three-year stint with the Patriots, he admitted a lot of things likely led to things not working out.
“It could be a lot of different things that led into it,” said Harry, via the Pioneer Press. “At the end of the day, I’m not worried about any of that. I’m worried about right now, going forward and helping this team win.”
It’s a good mindset to have for Harry, who is coming off injured reserve after recovering from an ankle injury. He has yet to take a meaningful snap for the Bears. So even if he is ready to play on Monday, he’ll be making his first start in a completely different offense.
Not to mention he’ll be facing a Patriots defense that has been red-hot this season.
“I’m trying not to get too caught up in it being the Patriots and it being my former team,” said Harry. “I’m obviously excited, excited to see some of my guys.”
There’s the excitement of catching up with old friends and teammates and then the reality of competing with a Patriots team that’s one victory away from improving to a winning record.
