A veteran fan favorite is returning to the New England Patriots.
Running back James White has agreed to a one-year deal, a league source confirmed to ESPN.
The 29-year-old has spent the entirety of his seven-year career in New England after being selected in the fourth-round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
White is a three-time Super Bowl champion and considered as one of the NFL's best "passing back" options, excelling as a receiving option out of the backfield and blocking blitzing linebackers.
The former Wisconsin standout recorded 49 receptions in 2020, which was second among all Patriots players, and has 269 career regular-season and 59 postseason catches during his NFL career.
White was also a key contributor during New England's historic comeback victory in Super Bowl LI over the Atlanta Falcons, recording 14 receptions and scoring three touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime.
White is also an ambassador to the Patriots franchise as a soft-spoken three-time team captain who has earned widespread admiration throughout the NFL.
Last September, players league wide rallied around White after his father, Tyrone, was killed in a car accident that also left his mother, Lisa, injured.
White's return provides the Patriots with a veteran presence at the running back position, which also includes third-year starter Damien Harris, 2018 first-round pick Sony Michel, second-year back J.J. Taylor and special teamer Brandon Bolden.
"I can't even put into words how much you can learn from a guy like James White. I really look up to him a lot," Harris told ESPN in December. "James White is definitely a guy you can say, 'Yeah, I want to be like James White when I grow up."
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