Steelers' Najee Harris Compared To Major Bust Jarvis Jones In Terms Of Play 'Just Good Enough'

The Pittsburgh Steelers will have many difficult choices on their hands during the 2024 NFL offseason, including whether or not to give tight end Pat Freiermuth a new contract. Another tough decision that will have to be made is if they want to pick up Najee Harris's fifth-year option. Players selected in the first-round of their draft are eligible for a fifth-year option, and a decision on it needs to be made following the players' third season. 

Steelers Former Lineman Astounded That Organization May Pickup Harris's Fifth-Year

Harris has been scrutinized a lot for his play, especially in the 2023 season. He is having the worst year of his career so far, and 2022 undrafted free agent Jaylen Warren has been the better back so far in 2023. Warren's eruption has certainly put a big question mark on Harris's future in Pittsburgh, which former offensive lineman Ramon Foster and reporter Dejan Kovacevic discussed on The Ramon Foster Show. Kovacevic believes his option will be picked up, which comes as a shock to Foster.

"You think so? Okay, let's pause for a second. Wow, DK, you just blew my mind," said Foster. "Not that this is a bad thing, but, production hasn't answered the call. If you ask me, I think he is at the same level of play as Jarvis [Jones], just good enough. Like the Pro Bowl that he made, how far down the line did they have to go to get him in?"

Harris eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first two seasons with the Steelers, and had 10 total touchdowns in each year. He made the Pro Bowl in 2021 in what was his best season where he had 1,200 yards on the ground and nearly 500 yards receiving. He has been on a slow decline ever since, as he has just 923 yards on the ground in 2023 with one game to go. 

Harris has been running behind a below-average offensive line for his entire career and hasn't missed a game due to injury. He is a consistently tough to bring down running back, and once he gets going, he is hard to stop. Kovacevic backed up his statement that Harris will have his fifth-year option picked up by giving his reasoning, mainly stating that Head Coach Mike Tomlin loves him. 

"If Mike Tomlin is still the coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, this is how I feel. He sees Harris as being beyond vital to everything that they do, including defensively. He sees Harris as essential to their identity as a football team. In a way that he doesn't see that in Jaylen Warren, and I don't know if that's personal. I don't know if that's just because they did what they did in getting him in the first-round, but I just do not see this head coach parting with that player. I really don't."

This is probably the thought of a lot of Steelers fans when it comes to Harris. It is obvious Tomlin loves him as a football player. He is a ground and pound running back, which is exactly what you might think of when it comes to a running back for the Steelers. He wears defenses out, and has the ability to take a lot of time off of the clock with his short, hard-earned runs. A great example of this was in the Steelers' 24-16 win over the Carolina Panthers in 2022. The Steelers had a 21-play, 91 yard touchdown drive that took nearly 12 minutes off of the clock. Harris had eight carries for 25 yards on the drive, and he wore down the Panthers defense. 

Harris might not have the glorious numbers and statistics that the top running backs in the league have, but he is essential to the Steelers. He is a key fixture in the backfield, and it might not always be pretty, but more often than not, he gets the job done. In the grand scheme of things, his career so far has not reached the expectations of a running back selected in the first-round. However, his role with the Steelers and what he does during games is absolutely crucial.