3 strangest players to play in a Patriots jersey

2. James Harrison

The Patriots spent years avoiding big hits from James Harrison from his time in the AFC North. He spent the majority of his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the Patriots’ biggest rivals. They were in the trenches, scratching and clawing towards a Super Bowl every season. Harrison brought an insane amount of grit to the Steelers, and it’s hard to ignore his ability to knock players out.

Harrison was benched for the Steelers in 2017, and he was even marked a healthy scratch for parts of the season. The two sides eventually agreed to part ways at the end of December, giving the Patriots open season to sign the 39-year-old to a new contract just in time for the playoffs.

Harrison had two sacks in his very first game for the Pats. Clearly, he could still be a playmaker on the defense. He ended up starting two of the Patriots’ three playoff games and recorded two quarterback hits in the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles.

This was a “blink and you’ll miss it” signing. He did make an impact on a Super Bowl run, despite this one falling short. Harrison was a Patriots rival for a long time, and then he finished his career in New England. It was a wild full circle moment for the former superstar.