Despite Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris having a career year, former New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison has not been impressed. He thinks Jaylen Warren is the better running back of the two.
“I think Jaylen Warren should be the starting running back,” Harrison said during a conversation with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “Najee Harris, when he runs, he looks like his legs are heavy. He looks like he’s running in sand at times. Every now and then, he’ll give you that energy and he runs like Ricky Watters, but for the most part, I’m starting Warren as my running back.”
In the Steelers’ Week 8 win over the New York Giants, Harris eclipsed 100 yards on the ground, marking the third straight game that the former first-round draft pick has reached the century. It’s the first time in his career that Harris has accomplished that feat. The last Steeler to have three 100-yard ground games in a row was James Conner, who had four straight in 2018.
Harris rushed for only 53 yards on 21 carries (2.5 average) in last Sunday’s 28-27 win over the Washington Commanders, while Warren racked up 66 yards on 14 carries (4.7 average). It appears that Harrison has some recency bias after watching Sunday’s game. Overall, Harris has been pretty solid this season. He might not be the most explosive back in the NFL, but he has been better this season at breaking off long runs compared to past years.
The Steelers decided to decline Harris’s $6.7 million fifth-year option in May, essentially making him a free agent after 2024. Entering this season, he’d led the NFL with 978 touches over the three prior campaigns. Through nine games, he’s recorded 645 yards rushing on 157 carries (4.1 average) and three touchdowns. He’s on pace to surpass his career-best rushing total of 1,200 yards, which was set in his rookie year in 2021.
Harris might have to carry the load against the Ravens’ No. 1 ranked rush defense on Sunday, as Warren’s banged-up with a back injury. If Harris can rush over 100 yards and lead the Steelers to a win over Baltimore, he certainly would silence some of his critics, especially Harrison.