Pittsburgh Steelers running back, Najee Harris hasn’t quite had the campaign many expected. Entering his second season, Harris suffered a Lisfranc foot injury in training camp. While Harris and head coach Mike Tomlin made it seem like that injury was mostly healed when the regular season began, it clearly wasn't. Harris hasn't looked like the same running back from when he was a rookie.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
His numbers are down in every aspect, specifically his yards per carry going from 3.9 down to 3.2. While it's still just five games into the season, he's averaged just 44.4 rushing yards per game this season, a 26.2 yard fall from 2021. According to Steelers reporter Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, Harris told the media that he's been playing with a steel plate in his shoe this season.
Najee Harris said he was playing with a steel plate in his shoe because of the training camp foot injury. Just took it out a few days ago.
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) October 14, 2022
For those who have watched the games this season, this isn't all that shocking. As aforementioned, he hasn't looked the same this season. He surely hasn't looked like the guy that they drafted him to be when he was picked 24th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. The steel plate relates back to that Lisfranc injury that he suffered in Latrobe, as DeFabo tweeted.
Now, he's taken it out. That either means his foot is more healed now, or he just couldn't stand the plate being in there anymore and felt he would perform better without it. According to DeFabo, it's essentially both. Based off this comment from Harris via DeFabo, black and gold fans should feel optimistic.
"It kind of prohibits me from doing certain things. But I just took it out yesterday, two days ago. It's gotten a lot better."
Either way, it should help him be a little more effective on the field come Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Harris also told media that he is now "100%," so we will see this weekend just how much different he looks. Some fans have even began calling for rookie Jaylen Warren to get more carries than Harris.
Pittsburgh Steelers undrafted rookie running back, Jaylen Warren (#30) makes a cut during a game against the New York Jets in Week 4 at Acrisure Stadium on Oct. 2, 2022. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Based off the stats thus far, Warren has indeed been more productive in his limited action. He's seen more and more snaps the past few weeks, as Harris has likely continued to deal with his foot injury. Despite it being just 19 carries so far, Warren's 4.9 yards per carry is significantly better than Harris' numbers. Additionally, the rookie has shown the ability to pass block very well, protecting quarterback Kenny Pickett. Harris did well in that aspect as a rookie, but he's taken a step back this season. Again, the injury has likely impacted him there. Overall, this should be good news for Harris and his performance for the rest of the season.
How much of an impact do you think this will have on Harris' performance this weekend? Do you think this could return him to form? Do you think he's still dealing with that Lisfranc injury? Share your thoughts on this in the comment section below. Also, be sure to share your opinions on our social media sites!
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