UPDATE: 1:00 p.m.
Mike Tomlin confirmed during his Tuesday press conference via the Steelers’ YouTube page that Harris has no concerns.
“No limitations on Naj,” Tomlin said. “Naj will be ready to rock and roll.”
On Monday, after a physical Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Najee Harris was seen in a sling in the locker room talking to trainers. Per NFL insider Jordan Schultz on X, Harris is expected to be fine and play in Week 4 against the Indianapolis Colts.
His tweet: “Sources: Steelers RB Najee Harris, who was seen in the locker room with a sling on his right arm on Monday, is expected to be fine and is likely to be ready for Sunday’s game vs the Colts. There doesn’t seem to be any concern.”
Harris has rushed for 239 yards through three games, which is 70 yards ahead of his pace last season. He has yet to miss a game in his career, and it doesn’t appear that Week 4 against the Colts will be an exception. If he plays, this will be his 57th consecutive start, including the playoffs. He is one of the most durable running backs in the league.
This is particularly important this week, as RB Jaylen Warren was pulled from the Week 3 game early after he was struggling to run fluidly. Tomlin said he has a chance to practice and play this week, but this is a new injury that was unrelated to his hamstring injury suffered in the preseason. Warren hasn’t been a large part of the game plan through the first three weeks.
The Steelers are a run-first team, so having a healthy stable of running backs is very important. Fortunately, Cordarrelle Patterson has been playing solid in limited opportunities and can be a complement to Harris on Sunday if Warren is unable to go.
It seems like the sling was just a precautionary measure after a physical matchup. Every player comes out of those games with bumps and bruises, and it seems that is all this was for Harris.
