While quarterback is getting the most attention for the Pittsburgh Steelers, it isn’t the only position they’re lacking at. They’re still lacking at running back. Jaylen Warren is still on the roster, and the Steelers signed Kenneth Gainwell, but it feels like they still need a solid starter. They could’ve had Najee Harris, but they declined his fifth-year option last year. Now, Harris has signed with the Los Angeles Chargers. Colin Cowherd believes that Harris could be better with his new team than he was in Pittsburgh.
“J.K. Dobbins, when healthy last year, was very good for the Chargers, and Najee Harris is a better player,” Cowherd said Monday on his show on FS1, The Herd. “A couple years ago, there was a guy named Kevin Dotson, he was a guard. I read a story that he wasn’t going to start in Pittsburgh.
“Sean McVay took him, became the PFF number one rated guard for two of the last three years. Stabilized the interior of their o-line. You find these outdated offensive cultures, and these offensive coaches cherry pick and know Dotson, Najee Harris, this kid’s gonna flourish.”
Although Harris was fine with the Steelers, it’s tough to say he lived up to his status as first-round pick. He had 1,000 yards in every year of his career, and he never missed a game, but he wasn’t really ever stellar.
Not all of that was Harris’ fault. The Steelers’ offense didn’t do him many favors. Pittsburgh’s offensive line was a mess for most of Harris’ tenure there. However, even when that group improved last year, Harris still lacked a level of burst that most top running backs have.
Still, it’s easy to see why Harris could be better with the Chargers. Jim Harbaugh, their head coach, has been known to love deploying tough, smashmouth offenses. A big, bruising bell cow like Harris should fit perfectly in Harbaugh’s offense. Harbaugh has clearly liked Harris for a long time, even trying to recruit him way back when he was the head coach at the University of Michigan.
Dotson is a good example to support Cowherd’s point. He was with the Steelers from 2020 to 2022, starting for much of his tenure there. However, before the 2023 season began, it seemed like the Steelers had soured on Dotson. They traded him to the Los Angeles Rams, and he’s flourished there, receiving a huge extension last offseason.
One of the main reasons Dotson blossomed with the Rams was probably because he fits better in their scheme. He was fine with the Steelers, but he couldn’t reach his full potential there. Perhaps the same will be true for Harris. On paper, he and Harbaugh seem like a perfect match. It could be a nice chance for Harris to show that he has more in the tank.
