Former Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell Absolutely Believes Najee Harris Is Too Heavy And Would Be Great Lighter

The Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled to effectively run the ball for a few years now. It hasn't been the same since All-Pro and former second-round draft pick, Le'Veon Bell left town following a holdout that lasted the entire 2018 season. The organization figured to have an answer when Najee Harris was selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He started his career with two straight 1,000-yard seasons, but has yet to truly materialize into a top ball carrier in the NFL. He is now in somewhat of a pickle as an undrafted back in Jaylen Warren is threatening his job.

Former Steelers Running Back Is Begging Harris To Shed Some Weight

Bell, who made an appearance at Steeler Nation's Terrible Tailgate in Las Vegas, joined Steelers defensive lineman and his former teammate, Cameron Heyward, on the Not Just Football podcast. He did not hold back his feelings when it came to the struggles that Harris has had to begin the 2023 season. He literally thinks he's a bit too heavy and not light enough on his feet.

"What I'm saying about Najee, he's a special runner. I think he can see the holes. I even think he knows how to set up his runs. He's so good at that. I think he could be even better if he was a little lighter."

Heyward quickly turned the conversation back to Bell and away from his current teammate. Prior to bringing up the idea of Harris losing some weight, Bell went into detail about what made a huge difference for him as he entered his second season in the NFL.

"Sometimes the extra step, that's all you need. That takes a run from two yards to about nine. I trained that hard, that offseason, I came back year two, I came back into camp, I was probably like 215. I was like ripped up, I was like three and a half percent body fat. And the second year is the year I kinda had a big year."

Bell isn't kidding. He rushed for over 1,300 yards and had 854 receiving yards on top of that in 2014. He earned All-Pro honors and solidified himself as one of the best backs in the NFL.

No one is giving up on Harris just yet, but he's going to make it extremely hard for the Steelers to pick up his fifth-year option in the 2024 offseason if he doesn't prove that he deserves it. Total yardage on the ground can be misleading. While he has had two decent years in that category in the stat column, the ball carrier only is averaging 3.9 yards per carry throughout his professional career.

On the other hand, Warren has a career average of about 4.6 yards per carry and is playing on an inexpensive contract. Pittsburgh may have no other choice but to keep Harris around for 2024, but then allow him to test the free agency market in 2025. To his credit, he has had to fight for every single yard as the Steelers offensive line hasn't exactly been put together since he was drafted.

One way or another, the offense is going to have to get the rushing attack going if quarterback, Kenny Pickett wants to effectively use the play-action. Since Pickett took over the starting role in 2022, a successful rushing attack has often led to a more balanced offense and often times, a win. Bell's comments about Harris should not be taken lightly. He looks relatively slow on the field and a former All-Pro is hinting at how he could be more dynamic.

Time is running out for Harris to prove to the Steelers brass that he deserves a guaranteed fifth season in Pittsburgh. It is already turning in the wrong direction with him and Warren splitting snaps throughout the team's first few games in 2023. It's not easy to shed weight in a short amount of time, but it might be in his best interest if he wants to put up better numbers.

Do you think Harris should lose weight? Let us know in the comments below!

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