Is a big 2023 season on tap for Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris? We can only hope so and especially on the heels of what looks to have had been a strong offseason for the team, not only in free agency, but the draft as well. As you can probably imagine, Harris is happy with the things the Steelers have done this offseason. He said as much in a recent interview with DAZN Boxing, ahead of the weekend boxing match in Mexico between Canelo Álvarez and John Ryder.
During his interview with fight network, Harris was asked to reveal his personal predictions and ambitions for the upcoming 2023 season.
“We’ve got a lot of new weapons this year,” Harris said. “We did really good in the draft, shout out to everybody at the Steelers’ organization for that. We picked up a lot of guys in the offseason. We always plan on doing better than we were last year, that being winning-wise and team-wise, how we control ourselves as a team standard-wise.
“It’s how we carry ourselves. So me, speaking as a captain, we want to get back to the playoffs. We want to get back to winning football and it’s the Steelers organization, so big things ahead of us this year. I’m excited.”
As part of the Steelers offseason overhaul, the team added a few experienced offensive linemen in guards Isaac Seumalo and Nate Herbig, and tackle Le’Raven Clark. Additionally, the team spent its first and last 2023 draft picks on offensive linemen in tackle Broderick Jones and guard Spencer Anderson. Oh, and the team also drafted a huge tight end in Darnell Washington, who can block with the best of them. If that weren’t enough, the Steelers also traded for veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson II ahead of the draft. In short, Harris has a lot to look forward to and be excited about in 2023 after only registering 1,263 total yards from scrimmage in 2022.
The offseason moves that the Steelers have made during the offseason are expected to result in the team’s offense attempting to play a lot of bully ball in 2023 and especially when it comes to the running game. Succeeding in doing that will hopefully also help starting quarterback Kenny Pickett take steps forward in his second season as a passer. The main beneficiary of all of this, however, should be Harris, the team’s 2021 first-round selection.
Last season, Harris was plagued by a foot injury and he really didn’t start hitting his stride until the second half of the schedule. The Alabama product now seems to be well past his 2022 injury, however, and thus should be raring to go come the start of OTAs a few weeks from now.
The 2023 season figures to be a real pivotal one when it comes to Harris’ future in Pittsburgh. The Steelers will need to decide a little less than a year from now if they want to pick up his fully guaranteed fifth-year option for the 2025 season. Staying healthy and productive on his way to registering 1,700 or more total yards from scrimmage in 2023 will make the Steelers’ May 2024 decision an easy one.
We’ll next see Harris on the practice fields a few weeks from now when OTAs get underway. Until then, we’ll have to take his word that he’s looking forward to getting back to team practices again with several new additions on the offensive side of the football to hopefully help in his 2023 success and the team’s as well.
“We’re all excited. We can’t wait,” Harris said.
