Duron Harmon is having a ball coaching his 8-year-old son’s football team.
“I don’t know who’s more pumped up,” the former Patriot said, “him or me.”
Harmon, who was a guest on the “Eye on Foxborough” podcast, finished last season with the Cleveland Browns, but the free agent safety, who’s 33, still thinks he’s capable of helping a team – including the Patriots – if the need arises.
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“I think last year just kind of let me know where, you know, what my status in the NFL is,” Harmon said. “if somebody gets hurt we’ll give you a call or … maybe another opportunity comes up early, I’m not sure, but right now I am, you know, still training to play.”
The Patriots don’t have a ton of depth at safety beyond their dynamic one-two punch of Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger. Having spent seven seasons with the Patriots during their most recent string of championships (2014, 2016, 2018) Harmon, who was on hand for Tom Brady’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony last week, is certainly no stranger to the defense and all of its intricacies.
While he’s looking for the right situation, Harmon wouldn’t hesitate if Patriots coach Jerod Mayo picked up the phone and called, offering him a deal to return at whatever point down the road.
“Oh, without a doubt, that would be the perfect end to this, to this story,” Harmon said. “I would, I would love to be, you know, a part of something from the beginning … because they’re trying to build something, right. And I know they have the right people to do it.
“So if the opportunity came, I mean, that would be special,” he went on. “That would be a really special way to end my career.”
After Bill Belichick traded Harmon, who was famously in the dentist’s chair when the Patriots coach called to tell him he was headed to Detroit, the defensive back also spent time with Atlanta, Las Vegas, Baltimore, Chicago and Cleveland.
Harmon would love to play one more season, but with five young children at home, all boys, he’s also ready for life after football.
“Football has been amazing to me to be able to give me some financial freedom to be able to, you know … pay for the next phase of life,” he said. So, if an opportunity comes up … I just wanna make sure it’s the right opportunity because I’m preparing for this to be my last season.”
Returning to the Patriots would be the perfect bookend. Whatever happens, Harmon eagerly awaits his next challenge.
