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Najee Harris Realizes Saturday Could Be Last Game With Steelers
Running back Najee Harris acknowledges Saturday's wild-card matchup against the Ravens could be his last with the Steelers.
PITTSBURGH — Saturday night’s wild-card matchup against the Baltimore Ravens could be the last game of the season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. For some, it will also be their last game wearing the black and gold.
That could prove to be the case for fourth-year running back Najee Harris since he is playing in the final year of his rookie deal. The Steelers declined his fifth-year option in May, hinting the 2024 season could be his last with the team.
On Thursday, Harris admitted that he understands the reality of the situation.
“Compartmentalizing is not hard, but realizing the situation what it is, you realize what it is,” Harris said. “Just go back in the offseason, wherever it is, whatever happens after this season. See what you can work on. See what happens next.”
Over the past four years, Harris has been the definition of reliable. He has rushed for at least 1,000 yards and six touchdowns of every season and never missed a game, despite battling several injuries.
That is something he can hang his hat on when he likely hits the open market this offseason.
However, many have argued that Harris lacks big-play ability with his longest career rush going for just 37 yards. He hinted there have been other factors that have maybe limited his production in Pittsburgh, though.
“This is a production business. I’m put in situations where you just got to make the best of your opportunity. If you say you did the best you can, that’s all you can do,” Harris said. “Would you want to change stuff? Yeah. Would you want to do better at things? Yeah, but sometimes people face certain situations. You just got to make the best of it, and that’s really it.”
When the Steelers drafted Harris in 2021, they had one of the worst offensive lines in the league. While it’s now much-improved, it is still a work in progress. Through all of that, Harris still broke the 1,000-yard threshold every year.
Harris thinks if that doesn’t prove he can be a workhorse running back in the NFL, nothing will.
“I mean, yeah, of course,” Harris said.
The 26-year-old’s time with the Steelers isn’t over quite yet, though. If Pittsburgh finds a way to upset the Ravens in Baltimore on Saturday night, they’ll advance to the divisional round of the playoffs and live to play another day.
That’s all Harris is focused on as he is still searching for his postseason win just like many of his teammates.
If that comes in the form of a big game for Harris, then great, but if not, he doesn’t care as long as they get the win.
“We’re just trying to win. I think you can’t lose the fact that that’s the main goal at the end of the day,” Harris said. “Yeah, you want to have a big game and all that, but at the end of the day, it’s more of a team thing. If the team wins, then everybody eats. You do the best that you can, but at the end of the day, if the team doesn’t win, then what you did really doesn’t matter.”
If Harris can help end the Steelers’ seven-year playoff win drought, it could help his raise his value heading into the offseason. That doesn’t mean Pittsburgh will be willing to pay up, though.
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