If Gerry Dulac’s recent reporting is to be believed, the Pittsburgh Steelers are searching for backfield speed this offseason. Najee Harris was consistent and at his best, an impressive bruiser but he lacked the juice and big-play ability top-tier running backs, even ones with size and power like him, have.
Adding my own speculation, I imagine the Steelers want to get faster to be able to better run their outside zone scheme that makes up the bedrock of Arthur Smith’s running game. A scheme the team seemed to lean on less this season than expected perhaps because of the lack of personnel to do it. Jaylen Warren is more explosive but tracks better as a downhill inside zone runner and even still, doesn’t have a second-gear to breakaway into open grass. He’s more torque than horsepower.
Pittsburgh’s running game has missed big plays. There was incremental improvement in 2024 but it fizzled out at the end of the year like everything else with the team.
Since Harris was drafted in 2021, the Steelers have 42 runs of 20-plus yards. That’s tied for 16th, a seemingly semi-respectable number. But considering how run-heavy Pittsburgh has been, ninth in rushing attempts over the same span, that number is worse on a relative basis.
It’s fair to point out the Steelers have lacked some of the quarterback mobility over that span but the number still falls short of their goal.
If you bump the runs by just five yards to gains of at least 25 yards, Pittsburgh dramatically falls down the list. They have just 14 over the past four seasons, 31st in the league only ahead of the Los Angeles Rams’ 13. For context, here’s the top and bottom-five.
Rushes Of 25-Plus Yards, 2021-2024
1. Ravens: 58
2. 49ers: 38
3. Colts: 36
3. Seahawks: 36
5. Giants: 34
28. Bengals: 15
28. Saints: 15
28. Raiders: 15
31. Steelers: 14
32. Rams: 13
Except for the Ravens, the top of the list isn’t influence by hyper-mobile quarterbacks. Even if you take away Lamar Jackson’s 14 such runs, they still have more than any other team. Everyone else has gotten the majority of their explosive runs from the backfield (if you’re wondering, the Colts’ Anthony Richardson only has two).
Pittsburgh’s 14 is weak especially given how run-heavy they’ve been. Los Angeles is the only team below and they have 164 fewer rushing attempts than the Steelers. Five different running backs have more 25-plus-yard runs than the Steelers do as a collective: Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Jonathan Taylor, Tony Pollard, and Aaron Jones while Nick Chubb and Jackson are tied with the Steelers’ mark.
The Steelers must simply become a more explosive offense. In all phases. The passing game showed signs of that before the losing streak but the running game hasn’t gotten there. Harris’ numbers ticked up early in the year but he struggled to break the 25-yard barrier, seemingly stuck around 20 as his longest runs of the year. He had just eight carries of 25-plus yards during his Steelers’ career, an average of two per year. Warren had less carries but only two such runs.
Here are some of the 25-yard run rates of the top-five carry leaders since 2021 plus Warren to compare both Steelers’ backs.
Rates of 25-Plus Yard Carries, 2021-2024
Derrick Henry: 2.2-percent
Saquon Barkley: 2.5-percent
Jonathan Taylor: 2.1-percent
Joe Mixon: 1.2-percent
Josh Jacobs: 1.1-percent
Najee Harris: 0.7-percent
Jaylen Warren: 0.6-percent
Harris lags far behind the other volume runners. On a relative basis, Warren is no better.
None of this is shocking. Pittsburgh’s running game hasn’t looked or felt big-play really since Willie Parker’s prime. Even Le’Veon Bell wasn’t a big-play guy, known for his patience, vision, and versatility more than breakaway speed.
Adding speed can be valuable to this offense. Being able to bust off the occasional field-flipping run to stop requiring this Steelers’ offense from consistently going on long, 10-11 play drives is a good thing. The concern is if Pittsburgh can evaluate and develop that type of runner. All they’ve known are power runners. Rashard Mendenhall, James Conner, Benny Snell, Bell, and Harris. Those were big guys. The workhorse backs Pittsburgh wanted before they switched to a committee.
When they’ve drafted for speed, they’ve missed. Dri Archer, Chris Rainey, and Anthony McFarland are all examples. Pittsburgh didn’t know how to use any of those guys and they didn’t fit the mold. With a committee-approach, perhaps the Steelers can have an easier time figuring things out. But it’ll be something to watch assuming they add a speedster to a backfield looking for more big plays. There’s no doubt they’re missing that element of their offense.
