In a running back-friendly offense under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers’ fourth-year running back Najee Harris is poised for a big year.
Coming off three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons to start his career, Harris could be in for a monster 2024 season, especially now that the Steelers have a strong scheme in place, have beefed up the offensive line, upgraded the quarterback situation and have a coordinator in place that has a history of putting running backs in great positions to succeed.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano sees a huge year for Harris, too. In a piece for ESPN.com Thursday morning, Graziano predicted that Harris will have a 1,500 total yard season under Smith, which just so happens to come in a contract year after the Steelers declined his fifth-year option in May.
“The Steelers declined Harris’ fifth-year option for 2025, but that doesn’t mean they’re done with him. They want to see how he (and everyone else) performs in first-year coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense before making any long-term decisions,” Graziano writes of Harris for ESPN.com. “There’s a feeling in the building that Smith’s offense is well-suited to Harris’ skills, and with big-time question marks at quarterback and wide receiver (plus Smith’s history), I expect the Steelers to lean on their running game a lot.
“Jaylen Warren, Harris’ top competition for backfield touches, has already missed time in camp with a hamstring injury. Plus, Harris has cleared 1,000 rushing yards in each of his three NFL seasons so far, and he had 74 catches for 467 yards in his rookie season of 2021. I think he’ll be the major focal point of the Steelers’ offense.”
When the Steelers initially hired Smith in early February, the move was lauded because of the Steelers’ ability to run the football very well late last season, along with having a dependable, high-end running back tandem in Harris and Jaylen Warren.
Those feelings haven’t changed as the season draws near. Though the offense didn’t look all that great in the preseason, there is still plenty of belief in Smith and his ability to scheme up a run game. Add in the fact that the Steelers drafted tackle Troy Fautnau and center Zach Frazier to fix the offensive line, Pittsburgh should be among the best rushing attacks in the NFL this season, much like it was in the second half last season.
Harris will be a focal point of that. Although he and Warren split snaps last season, Harris still saw 81 more carries than Warren, which should again be the split under Smith, at least from a carries perspective. The belief that Harris is a good fit in Smith’s scheme is warranted, too, which could lead to a big season for the Alabama product. He could — and realistically should — play his way into a contract extension, too.
Everything is in place for Harris to have a big year. The offensive line is better, at least on paper. The quarterback position is upgraded and there’s a respected, accomplished coordinator in charge. It’s time for Harris to take advantage.
