The Pittsburgh Steelers know what their fans like. More than any other fan base, Steelers fans love to see an effective running game. A bruising power back who gains four to six yards by plowing into an opposing defense is nirvana. Jerome Bettis may not have had as many Super Bowls as Franco Harris, but many fans of the black and gold found the personification of what a Steelers running back should be in the beloved Hall of Famer, "The Bus."
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Steelers' Najee Harris breaks tackles against the Indianapolis Colts during a Monday night game in 2022.
The Steelers have not had an effective bruiser like Bettis since he retired. In 2021, Art Rooney II allegedly demanded a return to the running game. Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin tapped the best big back in college football as a first-round draft pick and selected Najee Harris from the University of Alabama. Fans who have embraced analytics hated the move, and many local and national commentators questioned using the pick on a running back.
Cory Woodruff released an article on For The Win, a subsidiary of USA Today, with trade ideas for every NFL team ahead of the NFL trade deadline. Speculation articles regarding trades are the bread and butter of many writers who cover the four major American sports. Woodruff posited the following regarding a trade involving the two-time 1,000-yard rusher.
“This might seem a little surprising, but the Steelers might want to transition running back Jaylen Warren into that starting spot and consider sending Harris to a team that could better utilize his talents,” Woodruff wrote. “Pittsburgh could probably get a second-round pick in return, and some team would get a proven running back in Harris to help a postseason run.”
Jaylen Warren has become one of the most popular Steelers because of his running style. He is a bowling ball with the football. When he gets going downhill, he plows into defenders. Warren has taken over the third-down back role and is the beneficiary of getting the ball in space from Kenny Pickett. A large portion of the fan base thinks that the Steelers would be better off with Warren as the primary back.
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Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett and running back Najee Harris embrace during a regular season game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022.
On 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday, The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller addressed the speculation of a Harris trade. Andrew Fillipponi is on paternity leave for two weeks, so Chris Mueller had to channel enough bombastic energy to cover the absence of his co-host. Donny Football, aka Donny Chadrick, the producer of the popular show, is helping to fill the void left by Fillipponi during his absence.
"This Cory Woodruff from USA Today. One trade he would like to see each team in the NFL make, the Steelers, it was just Najee Harris," Mueller stated. "There's kind of a dart at the Steelers' coaching staff: send Najee Harris to a place that will utilize him correctly. The Steelers ain't it. He thinks they can get a second-round pick in return. I don't."
Steelers' Najee Harris Endures Questions About Being "That Guy"
There is no shortage of NFL analysts and commentators who are not fans of Harris. Greg Cosell has been particularly critical in the past, but he is hardly alone. The fact that Harris resides near the top of the NFL in broken tackles is almost incidental to those critical of the third-year back. He has to break tackles to gain two yards all too often. Harris resembles Le'Veon Bell more than Bettis, to his detriment. Bell's style was so unique that it is hard to envision any back emulating him successfully.
"We're talking about a player in his third year that has two thousand-yard seasons," Mueller continued. "When I put the poll question out, would you like to see the Steelers trade him for a second-round pick, like 85 percent of people said yes? When I just said, should they just trade him, period? No guarantee of return over 65 percent, yes."
The sentiment surrounding Harris is a little surprising. His physical style should endear him to fans, but too often, he is perceived as hesitant. In 2022, Harris performed much better after the bye week as part of a tandem down the stretch and seemed to be a more decisive runner. The beginning of 2023 has seen him revert to some bad habits in between promising moments.
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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris was the lone bright spot in their 2023 Week 4 loss to the Houston Texans.
Harris is also not being helped by participating in the most predictable play in the NFL. If Pickett lines up under center and he is in the game, Harris gets the ball. It's nearly a 90 percent certainty and gives Harris very little chance behind a still-developing offensive line.
"Now, to hear Mike Tomlin tell it, you know it's not going to happen," Mueller added. "But I think it should. This team needs to be a little lighter on its feet. Colbert did this when he traded for Minkah [Fitzpatrick]. [Omar] Khan did it when he somehow swung a deal with the [Chicago] Bears for Chase Claypool. That was a stone-cold miracle. This team needs to continue in that vein. I think the head coach would be the one chief impediment to this happening."
Tomlin was instrumental in Harris becoming an offensive captain in 2022. He expected his running back to take the mantle of leadership from Roethlisberger and lead the team as Bettis did for a decade. The only problem is he is not the leader that Bettis was, and that version of the NFL doesn't exist anymore. However, comparing Harris to Chase Claypool seems like a bridge too far.
"You want to talk about gut feelings just as viewers, just as fans," Shadrick added. "You have those two guys on the field. Which guy makes you feel better about what the Steelers offense could pull off? Whenever Najee Harris is in the game, I'm almost surprised, and it's sad. I'm overly excited when I see a play go for more than five yards when he is on the field."
The Steelers' current running backs do function better as a tandem. Warren struggles when the Steelers line up under center when he spells Harris. Both players bring a unique skill set to the table, and it is doubtful that a devalued position with a back who is perceived as limited would bring back significant draft capital. Worse, it could take an already fragile offensive balance and make it even more predictable.
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Steelers running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.
Warren is not a three-down back, and neither is Harris. A little creativity when the Steelers line up under center could go a long way in making both even more effective. Putting Warren on the field for three downs will not make the offense less predictable under Matt Canada. It will just hurt Warren's ability to pick up the occasional first down for an inept offense.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you on board with trading Harris for whatever they can get for him, or hoping he will have a big second half of the season like last year? Please comment below or on my Twitter/X: @thebubbasq.
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