The New England Patriots could be without starting free safety Devin McCourty for a few weeks.

McCourty suffered a high ankle sprain in the Patriots' win over the Houston Texans on Sunday, a league source told ESPN's Adam Caplan. There's currently no timetable for McCourty's recovery but typically returning from that injury takes NFL players 4 to 6 weeks. That means McCourty potentially could come back for the Patriots' first playoff game if they receive a first-round bye.

Backup safety Duron Harmon will take over in McCourty's stead. Harmon has 13 combined tackles and three interceptions in 13 games this season. The third-year pro out of Rutgers was selected by the Patriots with the No. 91 pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Thumbnail photo via Kevin Hoffman/USA TODAY Sports Images