Pittsburgh Steelers running back, Najee Harris was one of several players to walk away from Week 1 with an injury. The second-year Alabama product dealt with a Lisfranc foot injury throughout training camp, but it was believed to be mostly healed by the beginning of the season. Well, that was according to head coach Mike Tomlin and Harris himself. Against the Cincinnati Bengals, he suffered another foot injury. This time, it seemingly didn't have anything to do with the Lisfranc injury.
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While he may be on track to play this upcoming weekend, as he was limited in Wednesday's practice, it may be best for the Steelers to sit him out in Week 2. While it's another huge conference game against the New England Patriots, it would be wise for his long-term status. The black and gold do desperately need his presence, as rookie Jaylen Warren would have to step into an expanded role if Harris was out.
While Warren impressed in training camp and into the preseason, giving him the keys as starter in his second career game is quite risky. Benny Snell Jr. would likely split carries with him, but that spells for an unproductive rushing attack. As for why Pittsburgh should sit Harris, it's important to consider his long-term outlook, which goes for the rest of the 2022 season and beyond. NFL Network analyst and former NFL player, Brian Baldinger weighed in on Harris' performance from Week 1:
"They didn't run the ball well. Najee didn't look healthy before his knee [foot] got bent back like that," Baldinger said on NFL Now. "He just didn't look explosive. I don't know how bad the foot is from the Lisfranc issue that he had this summer. He doesn't look good right now, he doesn't look like the guy that ran for 1,200 yards last year."
Harris finished the day with just 23 rushing yards on 10 carries. The offensive line did him no favors, as evidenced by the 2.3 yards per carry. He had nowhere to run on most of his carries, continuing the same theme from his 2021 rookie season. With that being said, Harris did seem hesitant to hit his holes in the few times that they did. As Baldinger said, the star running back just didn't seem to have the same burst. This was before the injury as well, so that only adds to this argument.
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The poor offensive line may certainly be playing into Harris' running style, making him more cautious overall. Both things can be true though, as Harris seems to be nowhere near full health at the moment. While sitting him out would hurt the team over these next few weeks, it would be better for them in the long run. The Steelers will need a fully healthy Najee Harris in order to make a playoff run. There has to be at least some concern regarding Harris' injury and whether it'll linger throughout the season.
Do you think the black and gold should sit Harris for his best interests? What should the snap count at RB look like if he were to sit out? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, as well as on our social media sites!
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