The Patriots have been in contact with free agent James Harrison regarding a possible return to New England, according to a source.

The 39-year-old Harrison, who was released by the Steelers in late December, caught on in New England and quickly established a role. He was on the field for 90 percent of the team's defensive snaps in the Super Bowl LII loss to the Eagles.

While New England's free agency plans remain unknown, there's little question the club needs to upgrade the talent along the front seven.

The Pats surrendered 4.7 yards per carry in 2017, which ranked 31st in the NFL. It was the worst mark by any Patriots defense in the Bill Belichick era.

The Pats are operating with limited cap space, and they need to re-sign offensive tackle Nate Solder, so they'll probably search for value on defense.

Ideally, they'll find a young player at a reasonable price; the team's signing of Jabaal Sheard in 2015 comes to mind. The Pats struck a two-year, $11 million agreement with the former Browns defensive end.

Harrison could be viewed as a fallback option for New England.

After Super Bowl LII, when asked if he'd return to the Patriots in 2018, Harrison said, "I'd want to come back wherever I'm wanted."

The week prior, Harrison told ESPN's Mike Reiss that he'd like to play at age 40 or 41.

Harrison has not officially announced that he'll return in 2018.