Thanks to his size and usage with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Najee Harris has the reputation of an old-school power back. He’ll carry the ball and barrel ahead, but not offer much else for an offense. But Harris pushed back on the notion, believing his versatility can be an asset if an offense chooses to highlight it. He implied during his opening press conference with the Los Angeles Chargers, that the Steelers didn’t do that.
“I’m a versatile back,” he said as shared by the Chargers’ Twitter/X account. “It’s just a certain offense I guess, I was just used a certain way. But [I’m] really good in the receiving game, too. I feel like, I guess [it] doesn’t go noticed enough. Just all-around back man, that’s how I see myself.”
It might not be major shade thrown Pittsburgh’s way, but those skies are at least partly cloudy. Harris was drafted to be the team’s three-down bell cow, and he assumed the role as a rookie. He ran for exactly 1,200 yards and was heavily involved as a receiver. Najee Harris’ 74 receptions were second on the team and set a Steelers rookie record regardless of position, smashing WR Chase Claypool’s mark of 62 catches set the year before. At Alabama, Harris’ receiving ability was valued — he once scored over future teammate LB Patrick Queen — and he ended his college career with 80 receptions.
But as Jaylen Warren emerged and took over third-down duties in 2022, Harris’ pass-catching role shrunk. QB Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement didn’t help as the Steelers’ quarterback play got worse. Over his next three seasons, Harris caught just 106 passes, including only 29 in 2023 despite appearing in all 17 games.
Per our offensive charting, here’s the number of third-down snaps Harris logged year by year during his four-year stint with Pittsburgh.
2021 – 215 snaps
2022 – 110 snaps
2023 – 54 snaps
2024 – 55 snaps
Even with Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson dealing with injuries last year, Harris’ role hardly expanded. He ended the year with 36 receptions, a slight uptick from the season before, but he failed to catch a touchdown pass after recording six across his first two years.
It’s not clear how different Harris’ usage will be with Los Angeles. He’s currently the Chargers’ top running back as they retool their room, releasing Gus Edwards while letting J.K. Dobbins hit free agency. In 2024, the two combined for 35 catches. It suggests Harris won’t be a big part of the passing game but he’s sending a clear message. He’s sure capable of doing it.
