Najee Harris gave the Pittsburgh Steelers four quality years of running back play. While Harris wasn’t the most explosive player in the league, he was consistent. That came in some truly ugly Steelers offenses, too. Harris wasn’t often running behind a quality offensive line. However, the Steelers let him leave in free agency this offseason, with Harris signing with the Los Angeles Chargers. Jerome Bettis liked what he saw from Harris in Pittsburgh, and he wouldn’t have minded if they re-signed him.
“I thought Najee, you saw him from his first year to his last year, he developed and grew every year as a running back,” Bettis said recently in an interview with Pro Football Network. “And I was impressed with him at the end of his run in Pittsburgh. I thought he was someone that, if they had re-signed him, it would’ve made a lot of sense.
“The fact that they did not, I understand it, but still, he’s one of those guys that if you would’ve re-signed him, there would not have been a question mark about that signing at all because he’s definitely deserving of another contract. But I was happy for him that he was able to go to the Chargers, and they’re going to like what they get from Najee.”
During his time with the Steelers, Harris never finished a season with less than 1,000 rushing yards. He also never missed a game, which is particularly impressive considering the position that he plays. While his ceiling might not be high, the Steelers certainly could’ve done worse at running back.
However, Pittsburgh decided to go in a different direction with their backfield this year. Jaylen Warren is still there, but they added Kenneth Gainwell and Kaleb Johnson. Johnson, in particular, could take over as the Steelers’ lead back. Bettis has praised him before.
The big knock against Harris is that he isn’t very explosive. His career-long run is 37 yards, which came during his rookie season. It wasn’t often that Harris would break away for long runs. He was more of a hammer, pounding away at defenses over the course of an entire game. In contrast, Johnson showcased breakaway speed in college, even if his 40-yard dash time wasn’t too notable.
Harris now has a chance to prove that he can be a high-level player. Unfortunately, he was recently involved in an accident, so hopefully that doesn’t impact him too much this season.
Also, the Chargers spent their first-round pick on running back Omarion Hampton, so Harris could find himself splitting carries. However, he could cash in again next offseason if he performs well. He’s been a good NFL player, and in the right offense, maybe he can increase his value. Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh loves running the football, so Harris could be in for a productive year.
