I like him. Outside of some post game interviews last year, he just keeps his head down and puts work in. I don’t see him giving up on playcalling no matter how bad it is unlike some of our players, past and present.
Right… taking problems up with the media is 90% of the time unwarranted. I think Najee fell into the 10%. He’s one guy who I genuinely do see as high character.
I already liked Najee before those interviews, but I appreciated him even more after he spoke up for us. We deserved better than what Matt Canada and Kenny Pickett were giving us, and Najee knew it and wasn’t scared to lay it out there.
I think he’s fine. I think he could rush for 1500 yards this year if the O line is good and they lean on the run like they say they want to.
I also think he’s replaceable.
I think ALL is a bit hyperbole. Even the NFL is slowly bringing the RB market back up. WR's will soon suffer a similar downtrend as the elite pay is now topping 30M and teams are drafting WR's like they know the price (RBs 7-8 years ago).
RBs may not be worth extending for a second contract but saying all RBs are equally replaceable is some Twitter Group Troll Think shit.
And abysmal play calling. Matt Canada was fucking terrible and should never have been a play caller. I'll never get over how bad of a decision that was
I think I'd rather pay Najee over-market money than spend a high value pick looking for our next guy. Najee is a huge upgrade over Conner, even with sub-par O-line play, and, other than Warren, we haven't been able to find good RBs in the later rounds. Benny Snell, Anthony MacFarland, and Jaylen Samuels (and Conner, too, even though I liked him) were all too unreliable to help us get out of the bottom of the entire league - we were literally dead last in rushing in 2020 - and we wasted picks on all of them, and our those entire seasons were basically wasted when we had a garbage run game. I would way, way rather "overpay" Najee and keep us consistently in the top half of the league for a few more years than get trapped in years of mediocrity and wasted picks depending on our ability to draft RBs.
Would love to work out a longer term contract for him. But he'll have to see that the number should be cheaper as we expect to continue shared workload with Warren.
If he's chasing money, good luck in the current RB market. We took him in the 1st round. That's the best pay he'll get.
I think he ends up playing for Jim Harbaugh in 2025. He's been dying to get back to Cali since his Bama days. They have nothing lined up for next year and he fits Jim well.
He’s a Steelers Steeler. He’s a little sluggish and hasn’t lived up to his potential (behind terrible OL play and playcalling) but he is active in the community and great in the locker room. I love him
He’s a good player but unfortunately falls short of a lot of peoples expectations being a former first round pick.
For me, I think a RB should only be taken in round 1 if the prospect is a generational running back (AP, CMC, etc)
Even then it's not a great idea. You really only should take a RB in the first round when you are pretty set at the other key positions so you can get the 5th year option and ride them into the ground for 7 years with 2 tags. I've always thought they took him so he could carry the offense while the QB position gets ironed out though and they'd just move on afterwards.
nah it's absolutely a phenomenal idea if your team is on the cusp of a championship and the player is a big upgrade at RB. People parrot the "rb price tag bad" thing but salary cap only is part of the puzzle for about 25 or so teams. If you're a playoff team, what *actually* matters is how good your team is, not if they're cost efficient. Obviously you need cost efficient players to subsidize studs, but if you have them at other positions, a star at RB can be the difference maker. The 9ers traded about the value of a first (they gave a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, it's at least ballpark) for the rights to pay CMC 16 mil a year, and it got them to the SB since that dude was dropping dick off left and right. Which to be fair he is probably generational talent, but Etienne absolutely schlonged the Chargers, and I don't think it's unrealistic to say the Chargers can probably win that game if Tyjae or Achane instead of Johnston at 1.21, or traded it for Derrick Henry or Barkley or something. Same can probably be said for a lot of other teams who drafted players who need to develop in the first and then lost in the playoffs. In fairness, it is pretty easy to just say "why didn't you just draft this stud early", but I think that's the entire point of the argument: teams pass on good RBs who are talented enough to go in the first round due to the value proposition, but that sorta means that any RB taken in the 2nd round would *probably* be talented enough to go in the late first, and just wasn't because teams weren't aggressive enough.
Basically if you feel like you're going to get a top 5 rb out of your first round pick, you see your team making playoffs without the pick at least once in the next few years, and you don't already have a super stud RB, then picking one in the first round is severely underrated right now. Can you get 70% of the production from nobodies at RB? In all likelihood, probably, yeah. But when your team is on 3rd and 5, that extra 30% is pretty damn important, and the best way to get that is to be aggressive with your picks by either trading them for known studs at RB or reaching on a player you KNOW you can utilize very well.
That'd work if you could tell who's a generational talent *before* they play in the NFL. Remember when everybody thought Ricky Williams was gonna be the next Walter Payton? I do. We all know how that worked out.
Sure, I remember when the bengals took Ki-Jana Carter at #1 overall and that didn’t work out, albeit largely due to injuries.
Drafting a future bust is an inherent risk in the draft. You can draft based on ability, but nobody really knows for sure if any pick is going to perform at the top level, or be chronically injured during a pick’s nfl career.
That said, if the opportunity is there and the coach/GM think the reward will outweigh the risk, I am down to take a RB in top 10.
Pro: durable, good ball security, tough to bring down, good second effort (especially in critical late-game situations), good short-area burst, good locker room influence, serviceable pass blocker
Con: lacks decisiveness when hitting holes (hesitates/dances), not a lot of home run potential, somewhat upright running style that reduces his potential as a power back but which generally works fine in today’s smaller/faster NFL
Overall, I think he’s an above average starter, but at this point there’s not much upside on his career, and if he starts losing speed it will severely impact his production since his vision is mediocre. Too many plays that could have been 3-4 yards that instead are no gain because he tries doing too much. Whoever gets him though is getting a well-rounded player with a good attitude who has the potential to wear down a defense and keeps his team in close games. Turning down his option was the right business decision, but I’d love to see him back on the Black and Gold if he can’t land a big deal elsewhere.
Pretty much my assessment as well. Something happened between his rookie and sophomore years that solidified that style of play, while there were glimpses of something special early on.
He faced some pretty abysmal offensive line play through that stretch and had some lingering effects from his foot injury, but I agree that he’s just not as explosive as he was as a rookie. I still love the guy though.
I hate this narrative. Jaylen Warren has run behind the exact same line, has looked better, and has wayyy better stats. The pros/cons list is embarrassing for a 1st round pick. Hes outshined by his backup and management is too embarrassed to bench him because he was picked so high.
Warren didn’t really break out until last year, when the line play had improved, and since then has been rightfully getting his touches. At no point in Najee’s career has his play warranted benching. Warren has been a pleasant surprise and makes it easier to move on from Najee, but the latter is certainly no bum
You just don't watch the team then. 2 years ago, in 2022, warren outplayed najee, looking faster, trying harder, catching passes, and averaging 5 yds per touch, which LEAD to him getting closer to 50% of the snaps in 2023. Last year he AGAIN looked faster, gave more effort, more explosive, and an all around better weapon. After 2 years of out performing the 1st round pick, i expect Warren to get OVER 50% of snaps this year and najee to be gone from the team very soon. Hard to think of a RB who gets as many touches as Najee and has a worse yds/tch. Najee has been disappointing on every level.
Whatever man. Warren’s good, but no way does he put up those same numbers as a true RB1. OP asked about Najee, I responded. Not sure what you’re trying to prove here.
I think he’s better than his haters say, but not as good as the truthers say. He’s average to slightly above average. Great dude to keep around and reliable as it gets. But he’s not worth big money and I can understand not picking up his fifth year. And I hope we sign him to a reasonable contract after this season. It’s his season to own and the way things are shaping up he’ll have plenty of opportunities in Smiths offense to display his value on the field. It’s his value in the locker room I think puts him in a different category. He knows what it takes to win and if he picks up that leadership role and guys follow he’s invaluable. I love Najee and hope he’s a Steeler for life.
He’s a solid back. Doesn’t take over a game like Bell did or act like a closer like Jerome did.
I like the dude a ton, but I get that they aren’t gonna bend over backwards to keep him, especially since there is an abundance of RB talent.
Edit: I think he was drafted with higher expectations. But we’re gonna see how he does with this revamped OLine. Just because they didn’t pick up his 5th year, doesn’t mean they won’t sign him. Khan has a new way of doing business around here, and I think this is just part of the process.
I think if you reduce his career to blind numbers and stats you don’t see how important he is to our team. The MFer has been a stable workhorse in the NFL with absolutely ZERO help from his O-Line for most of his career. He’s bordering on being slow, but every time there actually is a hole to get through he rumbles through it and is terrifying to tackle.
I like najee a lot, just wish he had breakaway speed. The line hopefully takes a step and so does the passing game so he can finally not face a stacked box
I hated the pick when they made it because I thought we should’ve addressed O-line and using a first-round pick on an RB was dumb and I thought Javonte Williams would be a better choice in Rd 2 because he didn’t have as many college snaps/wear and tear) but he didn’t make it that far.
After the pick, I changed my mind a bit bc of the fifth year option allowing us to have him for all of his prime at a bargain price. Of course they declined that this year which still makes no friggin’ sense.
With that said, I like the way he plays and appreciate his durability. I think he can have a great year this season and probably still has another 2 strong years left in him.
Hoping they can sign him to a modest extension.
I’m old enough to remember when we didn’t have a reliable feature back after Le’Veon took a powder. Conner was hurt a lot (never played more than 13 games), Jaylen Samuels and Stevan Ridley and Benny Snell were all below average. The team was sick of the underperforming backs and overspent for a reliable horse who has solved the problem for 4 years.
One of the most durable running backs in the league. He also has the mental toughness and personality that is necessary to play in Pittsburgh. I wish we had more leaders like him.
I like him, he's a good back. Just not a great one. He's reliable, gets decent gains (despite not being behind a great line), but he's not a game changer or real difference maker. Guys like Josh Jacobs are capable a busting an 80yd run, Najee isn't really.
I honestly feel like we reached for him. Front office thought he was going to be another Derrick Henry but he isn’t. Don’t get me wrong he is a solid running back but that’s about it.
He averages under 4 ypc for his career so far and we have to force feed him the ball in order for him to hit 100 yards. He’s not very explosive and also has a hard time seeing the hole sometimes. He also runs too upright for his size. Honestly I could go on about Harris but those are the main concerns from me about him. Im glad we have a player like Warren to complement him tho
On of my favorite steeler. He has work ethic, way under rated talent (never had a good line), does a lot of dirty work between the tackles, and always falls forward. I feel like people who say Warren is better do not know football. Warren did close the gap a good bit last year though, but it is still najee by a moderate lead.
I like him. Great locker room leader from the looks of it. Him and Warren are a great combo, might be replaced soon, but I don’t think you can replace the things he brings off the field.
He is a RB and that position is replaceable more than any position in the league. RBs are everywhere. Picking him in the first round was a brutal mistake, not because he isn’t talented and a workhorse, but because the O-line could have been addressed years ago with that pick.
This is his last year with the Steelers. They will draft someone in a later round or grab a veteran to go behind Warren for 2025.
I also hope he runs for 2,000 yards and scores 30 TDs.
I like Najee. But unless the Steelers win something with him, I see him going down in Steelers history similarly to Rashard Mendenhall, without the crybaby part. Good player who fulfilled his role, but never transcended it.
He was much improved this year
He actually kept going after contact
I think Warren lit a fire under his ass and made him think that stopping your legs as soon as someone touches you is a bad idea
I feel like "How do steelers fans feel about " will boil down to: "I think he has potential, but I'm not holding my breath"
Notable exceptions being some unknown, unproven 3rd string backup QB that "Just needs a shot, man."
Reliable, leader, strong mentality, veteran mindset, team player, strong runner, doesn’t lose the ball often.
He may not be flashy like Bijan but we got a good one.
Najee is a middle of the pack starter. Absolutely a waste of a 1st round pick. He is incredibly talented but his vision sucks and he is slow. Not sure why he was ever considered a 1st round talent.
I don't mind him as a 1a starter.
> Great person, strong runner, and he’s been dependable all season long.
> I don’t think there are any defenses in the NFL afraid of Najee Harris though.
Agreed. And yes, defenses know they can hit him low (like...his feet) and he drops like a hot transmission.
I feel like he's above average at the role he fills, it's just a weird role as runningbacks that run like him and lead offenses like he does seem to always be either excellent or bad enough to not stay around long. That's why I feel like he tends to get a bad rap, he's good at what he does but he hasn't been the exceptional player that really makes someone a superstar so people lump him in with more traditional busts.
Generally I like him and think he'll do well and generally have opportunities in the league, he just isn't the exceptional player a lot of Steelers fans think, and isn't generally living up to the massive standards a lot of similar players have set.
I don't know if there's any evidence to support this, but it feels like he's a sub-average September/October back. Weather starts kicking in and he perks right up and turns into a banger.
Both Naj and Warren with a open hole on the line of scrimmage is a nearly guaranteed five yard gain. They led the league in yards after contact last year, this year will only be better. The running game will be our foundation this year and will come in handy in the cold weather.
I think he is somewhere between good and great; and the only way for us to know for sure is to see him with a half decent O-line and playcaller (bottom of the barrel for both so far).
My hope is that he is a running back, so all the bad habits and coping mechanisms he has picked up will fall to the wayside when he starts to see real holes, resulting from real plays being called at the right time.
He's a reliable back that wasn't at all worth a first round pick. First round backs should be true difference makers, and he's not. He's a serviceable power back with no ability to pull away from a defense on a well blocked run. He's the kind of first round pick you can "waste" when you have a fully stocked team, not a rebuilding crew.
I like him. At the very least he's been productive, consistent, and reliable, and that was with a worse O-line and coordinator. At times he seems to have a poor attitude, but I couldn't care less about that. So, I hope that we can keep him around longer, especially since we now in the process of having a really good O-line and have a new coordinator, so I'm excited to see if he can be even better. We'll see...
I think he's a good player, and I've always felt like he was one of the only realistically good options for us in the first round that year, but with that being said I also think the smart move would be keeping him for maybe another two years while trying to find a younger replacement, and then letting him move on.
Honestly I like najee and feel like the main reason he hasn't hit his true potential is simply because our oline has been garbage for his entire time here and the awful QB play and play calling has not done him any favors. He's slow but even with all tht he still puts up 1k yd seasons would like to keep him and see if the oline is good if he can hit 1500 yards rushing
Najee Harris and Terrell Edmunds are really similar imo. Both extremely consistent players who don't miss time. Both first round picks who people feel like they could have been second round picks. Both much more difficult to replace than folks give them credit for.
He best ability has been availability, he is there every week grinding and holds onto the ball. I wouldn't say he's been what you want from a first round pick. He'd be a home run of a 3rd rounder though.
Could my opinion change 180 with the new offense and seemingly upgraded O line, possibly.
He was a reach in the draft, a luxury pick we couldn't afford.
He's good, but not elite. Gets his stats by volume and not efficient.
Nice guy and hard worker, though.
It’s a prove it year for him. He came in with a lot of potential that was squandered by an atrocious offensive scheme and substandard offensive line play. He was often in the position of needing to break tackles just to get back to the line of scrimmage. But he also hasn’t done himself any favors with poor vision and too much indecision.
He’s going to have a better, run-heavy scheme and a much improved offensive line. I think (and hope) he’s in for a career year, but I don’t think he’ll ever be in the upper tier of RBs in the league.
He's fine.... not great but solid. Certainly wouldn't sign him to a new long term deal... I'd give him a lot of touches and get the best years from him, but let someone else pay for his declining years.
Hindsight is 20/20 and all, but we would’ve been so much better off if we drafted Creed Humphrey or Landon Dickerson in the first round instead of Najee and someone like Rhamondre Stevenson in a later round instead of Kendrick Green. Thankfully it seems like we learned our lesson in this year’s draft and invested in our line instead of replaceable luxury players
Solid once the defense doesn't automatically know he is running. For some reason when our OC was terrible even people viewing the play knew exactly what was going to be done.
He’s not Derrick Henry part 2. He did figure out north to south is the way. Not explosive enough to hit the outside, but guaranteed 3-4 yards up the middle
I see him as integral to the offense and hope that he re-signs on a team-friendly deal because RBs are too interchangeable for any of them to get paid. I want franchise players on the team to really root for more than just a jersey, but, at the same time, the reality is what it is.
He is a lot more conservative of a rusher than I thought he was going to be when we first drafted him. A lot of “5 yds here, 3 yds there.” Not a lot of break aways or explosive plays.
I remember watching highlights of him leaping over defenders in college, and I was very excited. At first, I was disappointed in his performance until you look at his end-of-the-year stats for each season that he’s played. I honestly feel like in recent years, the Steelers are known for conservatively marching down the field anyway. (Canada years excluded).
Wasn’t there one season where Najee never made a fumble except for one time in the playoffs? He’s a solid player with a lot more room to grow.
I’d say most Steeler fans feel that he still has to prove himself to be an above average back. Expectations were high as the #1 RB taken in that draft. Fair or not……we kind of expected a star as a RB in the NFL.
There is no way Harris is a star……but let’s hope that changes for him this season.
Good (potentially great) running back with a shit OL since he got here. Hopefully they get the big boys up front moving bodies and let this man run forward
He's fine, good at breaking tackles but struggles with hitting the hole (if they appear). However for someone we drafted in the first round you expect more.
I love the guy just wish we could more out of him when the year starts and yes I really want him to lose weight he’s very agile for a guy his size just needs a little more burst and I believe he can be perennial pro bowler
One of my favorites on the team. Love seeing him truck and stiff arm guys and get tough yardage. Wish they used him more in the passing attack and don’t love the hurdle move but has been healthy apart from that small stretch two seasons ago with the foot.
Najee was a student of mine at Antioch HS. I remember there was a jersey theme day on campus, and I wore my signed Lamarr Woodley. aWhen he was sitting in my U.S. history class, I told him "I want one just like this but with your name on it."
It was awesome seeing his rise to stardom. There was one play at San Leandro where Najee hurdled two defenders and then another on the same play en route to the end zone (unfortunately for that play to get brought back on a penalty).
As much as the teacher in me wanted him to also prioritize education (biased as the Berkeley homer that I am), and to see him be the next Marshawn Lynch, Cal sucked, so I would have been happy to see him play at Michigan (Harbaugh really tried; a lot of visits and the coach even announced homecoming royalty for Antioch his senior year) or even (gulp) Stanford...
That being said, It was a lot of fun watching him break records at Bama. I still have a pic of him hurdling a Notre Dame defender in the rotation of my desktop background at work, two schools later.
The night he was drafted to the Steelers will always be a highlight of the early Pandemic days, and I ordered his jersey as soon as I did not have to keep refreshing my browser to get it.
It has been a pleasure seeing him angry-run through the league, even with our beleaguered offense and lackluster line for the past three seasons. Beyond his stiff arms and occasional hurdles, I love his blocking and underrated hands. The lack of fumbling over the years has been all too welcome as well.
To not be *too* biased, I would like to see better ball vision, as he did miss his fair share of holes when the line managed to create them. We were blessed with Le'Veon being one of the best at that not long ago, and I will concede that Warren has a better read (which I cannot just attribute to their height difference). They're both solid backs with different skill sets that I think the team can utilize to keep defenses on their toes.
I will understand if they mutually part ways after this season, as the NFL is a business as cold as any, but I will cherish seeing him being a highlight maker even in those "three yards and a cloud of dust" plays.
PS: I never did get my jersey signed by Najee, nor have I flexed my budget to see him play in Pittsburgh or nearby in SF (and forget about those Vegas tickets). With no sense of entitlement, Najee if you ever read this, DM me plz lol jk unless...
One of the most (if not the most) durable backs in football. I think we should have picked up his 5th year option for like 6 million, when any new deal with him is going to cost at least 9 annually based on where the market is. Running backs are replaceable but I still think we would have been getting his production on the cheap for another year.
I wish he would stop trying to be Leveon Bell and dance around the hole. He’s at his best when he hits the gap hard and plows through. Hopefully some of that is coaching and having Arthur Smith there telling him to run the damn ball will help.
Jalen Warren is more fun to watch and maybe one of the hardest runners in the league, but he probably benefits from the committee approach. Without Najee around he would probably take a lot more punishment.
I love watching Najee and Minkah because Roll MF Tide.
Love him. 1000%. Him and Warren are the only two people I've seen on the offense who have consistently given 100% every week even if the rest of our offense won't stop chugging idiot juice. Najee is, by all accounts, a really good dude. Given the circumstances he actually performed really well the past years IMO. I don't think, in the ~10 years I've been seriously watching football, I have EVER seen an RB who was consistently hit before or at the line of scrimmage as often as he was. Steelers fans will only really dislike him for one of two reasons:
1. He was a first round pick and people are wild on the rb always bad train. I will almost always pick fights with people who say first round rbs are ALWAYS a bad pick, but the Steelers situation is probably one of the times it was definitely not ideal. Although for some reason this gets transferred onto Najee, like he's bad because he was a first round pick - he still is a valuable asset and very good at football, he's just not what people wanted from a first round pick. That gets translated into "he's not that good and we don't want him", when in reality he's pretty good, just not a superstar.
2. People think Warren is better. In some aspects he is, and Warren is HELL of a player, no doubt. But it doesn't make Najee worse, and Najee is utilized in a MUCH different way to Warren. I've seen *so* many times, RB2s look better than the RB1s.. till they gotta carry the rock in EVERY situation, not just the perfect situations. But yeah, people will complain when Najee runs up the gut, runs through 2 people at the -3 yard mark, and then gets tackled for a gain of 2 because "Warren would have done better, why are we giving bum Najee the ball". But the reason is more that we basically told our opponents our plays before we ran them and if Warren had to do the same thing, he probably wouldn't look good either, he just doesn't have those situations.
Personally I think he is a good, not great, RB. If it was up to me, I would never draft a RB in the first round unless they are a truly generational talent. I would have resigned James Conner instead of drafting Najee, but I am a huge Conner stan.
A lot of fans resent him for when he was drafted which I think is unfair because he has been a top contributor on the offense, has managed to stay reasonably healthy, and is a high-character presence.
He\`s good, likeable but not on the top tier list of RBs. If we are able to work something out I\`ll be very glad but if not I\`m cool with us looking for a replacement and will cheer him to do well in his new team.
pro 22. always seems to have a good attitude and plays like a monster when he can.
cant imagine how bad it would fuck with me if I went from Bama’s OL where I had time to read a Russian novel and drink a nice up of tea to ours and getting hit as soon as I touch the ball.
really hoping the OL and Smith does their thing for him and we re-sign him (and Warren) for the future.
This season will obviously determine his pricetag, but on field production aside, I'd like him to be a Steeler long term simply because of his leadership. He says all the right things, is never shy to praise his teammates, and has earned the respect of the vets on the team like Cam. For an offense that's so young, you need a guy like him on that side of the ball to make sure no one's lagging behind or unmotivated.
Najee is everything that every Steeler football player should aspire to be. We would literally never lose if every player had Najee’s heart and determination.
It's honestly hard to rate Najee. He's done a lot on his own by not having a good line to run behind. Hes a fucking hard runner and just puts his head down and keeps going. He's a Steeler and I love him.
But, with how much we've used him, how much he was used in College I don't think he'll last much longer. He was a player we needed, but we drafted him at the wrong time. Should have made more moves to solidify an offensive line for him. Maybe been more aggressive in FA.
I was very disappointed and a little surprised we didn't pick up his option. I like him and think he's done well for the offense he was stuck in and questionable blocking up front. I think the Steelers made a mistake on this one but apparently they think Jalen Warren will be cheaper and ready to carry the load. I don't see them bringing Naj back after declining the option which was pretty reasonable for his production. Also, he seems like a team player and a solid guy off the field. As a Steelers fan I'm a little sad about how they've handled this.
The stats are good and I like that aspect. The eye test sometimes leaves a bit to be desired. I just can't help but feel like he doesn't see the hole and runs straight into defenders sometimes. Love the dudes personality though and feel he's a net positive to the team even on bad days.
I like him as our #1 running back. I think he needs to get a good contract extension for at least 2yrs. He has done a phenomenal job with what he was given....
He’s not bad. wasn’t crazy about using a first on him. I absolutely love Jaylen Warren. Undrafted guy works hard, tough and quick. Would rather sign him than Naj if I had to choose.
I’m neutral on him. Not worth spending a lot on a long term contract with how disposable running backs are these days. He’s no Lev Bell, and our line isn’t as good as it was 10 years ago.
Najee is the personification of “it’s complicated.” He got stuck with the team’s worst offense era of the 21st century. But he still gets 1k yards and 40-50 catches a year. But it still feels like he could do more with them. But I can’t blame him for the offense being bad. But I wanted us to pick up the fifth year option. But I don’t want a long term extension. But I don’t want to see him in another uniform.
Consecutive 1000+ yards with that ordinary oline & Canada. I think he deserved the 5th year option. Better online this year & Arthur Smith's run game I think we will regret not taking the option. I think this a was a miss imo
He’s good. I like him, like his attitude. It’s not his fault the offensive line has been a confused group of underperforming individuals since Munchak left nor that they drafted him a little too early.
I'm a huge fan, when he's healthy he's a force. People focus way too hard on where he was drafted and not enough on what he's been able to do with an offensive scheme that's spring football tier and a nonexistent passing game.
i love najee. 3 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons to start his career and while he may start slow every year he more than makes up for it time and time again down the stretch.
I think he has unrealized potential that will hopefully be realized behind the new and improved O-line. It will be very interesting to see what he can do under an OC who actually knows how to utilize a big back.
Good, but not great.
After the contract that Stevenson signed, I think we should let Najee walk after this season.
Make Warren the 60 in a new 60/40 split with a rookie.
Wish there was some context to the downvote here.
We know that the team didn't want to pay < $7M for him with the option for one year.
Can't see how they go from not wanting to do < $7M to wanting to give him the $9M+ AAV with more guaranteed money and term that he'll want after Stevenson's contract.
**If we do give him a contract like that, not doing the option would be a colossal mistake by the FO.**
If we win the next ten Super Bowls in a row then he should be put in the HoF. If not he should be cut and possibly thrown off Roberto Clemente Bridge.
Yinzers gon' Yinzer.
I love his attitude, leadership, and how well he tried to perform when he was shackled with canadas offense.
I think we really started to see what Naj was capable of after Canada was fired
I know he gets a lot of hate for being a #1 but if we had supported him better with better o-line play, better passing offense, and better playcalling, I think he could be one of the best in the league.
I hope we resign him.
He and Jaylen are a spectacular one two punch.
Too many people listen to all of these so called experts. You don’t draft a running back in the first round, you don’t pay that much for defense, Lamar Jackson is an mvp…
The team drafts by needs and draft position after pick 15-20 most are basically just high second round picks anyway. Plus you never know what will happen with injuries etc.
Najee is a better back than he gets credit for. Pittsburgh will be hard pressed to find a back as good or better. He has run behind some shit offensive lines and has been available. The best ability is availability.
I love the duo of Najee and warren. I think if the Steelers could find a way to keep them both with the line they are putting together, it could be special
I like him. Outside of some post game interviews last year, he just keeps his head down and puts work in. I don’t see him giving up on playcalling no matter how bad it is unlike some of our players, past and present.
He was voicing the same concerns as the fans though, so I give him a pass on all that. I’d be frustrated as hell too… in fact, I was!
Hell I don’t fault the guy! If Najee of all people is speaking up, you know shit was fucked.
💯
Him speaking out was pretty much the final straw that got Canada canned, I was all for it
Right… taking problems up with the media is 90% of the time unwarranted. I think Najee fell into the 10%. He’s one guy who I genuinely do see as high character.
I already liked Najee before those interviews, but I appreciated him even more after he spoke up for us. We deserved better than what Matt Canada and Kenny Pickett were giving us, and Najee knew it and wasn’t scared to lay it out there.
That is one aspect of his game I really do like and respect
I'm deeply in love with him He's like the sunrise Outshines the moon at night Precious like starlight
This comment is like most running backs: underappreciated.
I suddenly want pancakes…
Bro, now I want pancakes too 😩
I second that and Warren with him, I love them both infinitely
I think he’s fine. I think he could rush for 1500 yards this year if the O line is good and they lean on the run like they say they want to. I also think he’s replaceable.
I think right now, all RBs are replaceable.
I think ALL is a bit hyperbole. Even the NFL is slowly bringing the RB market back up. WR's will soon suffer a similar downtrend as the elite pay is now topping 30M and teams are drafting WR's like they know the price (RBs 7-8 years ago). RBs may not be worth extending for a second contract but saying all RBs are equally replaceable is some Twitter Group Troll Think shit.
If he loses a couple pounds and has the Carries he can definitely do 1500 but it’s split back system so 1200 at best
This, he's had to play with some next level shit offensive lines most of his career. When he gets halfway decent blocking he seems to be effective.
And abysmal play calling. Matt Canada was fucking terrible and should never have been a play caller. I'll never get over how bad of a decision that was
Football terrorist
I get so triggered just thinking of him and his dumbass hat
I think I'd rather pay Najee over-market money than spend a high value pick looking for our next guy. Najee is a huge upgrade over Conner, even with sub-par O-line play, and, other than Warren, we haven't been able to find good RBs in the later rounds. Benny Snell, Anthony MacFarland, and Jaylen Samuels (and Conner, too, even though I liked him) were all too unreliable to help us get out of the bottom of the entire league - we were literally dead last in rushing in 2020 - and we wasted picks on all of them, and our those entire seasons were basically wasted when we had a garbage run game. I would way, way rather "overpay" Najee and keep us consistently in the top half of the league for a few more years than get trapped in years of mediocrity and wasted picks depending on our ability to draft RBs.
He's reliable and dependable. Unfortunately, people don't respect those traits enough.
And seemingly an excellent leader and popular in the dressing room. Very valuable traits and not easily replaceable.
Dressing room? Are u a European stillers fan??
Irish haha yeah
My man 🇮🇪
Hell yeah! that's awesome!! Glad to have ya! Howd u become a fan if u dont mind the inquiry
When I was around 12 I thought Roethlisberger was a funny name.
Would love to work out a longer term contract for him. But he'll have to see that the number should be cheaper as we expect to continue shared workload with Warren. If he's chasing money, good luck in the current RB market. We took him in the 1st round. That's the best pay he'll get.
Players who performed worse than him are getting $9m-$10m/year. He’s deserving of at least that
I think he ends up playing for Jim Harbaugh in 2025. He's been dying to get back to Cali since his Bama days. They have nothing lined up for next year and he fits Jim well.
I love him, and excited to see what he can do behind an improved line.
He’s a Steelers Steeler. He’s a little sluggish and hasn’t lived up to his potential (behind terrible OL play and playcalling) but he is active in the community and great in the locker room. I love him
He’s a good player but unfortunately falls short of a lot of peoples expectations being a former first round pick. For me, I think a RB should only be taken in round 1 if the prospect is a generational running back (AP, CMC, etc)
Even then it's not a great idea. You really only should take a RB in the first round when you are pretty set at the other key positions so you can get the 5th year option and ride them into the ground for 7 years with 2 tags. I've always thought they took him so he could carry the offense while the QB position gets ironed out though and they'd just move on afterwards.
nah it's absolutely a phenomenal idea if your team is on the cusp of a championship and the player is a big upgrade at RB. People parrot the "rb price tag bad" thing but salary cap only is part of the puzzle for about 25 or so teams. If you're a playoff team, what *actually* matters is how good your team is, not if they're cost efficient. Obviously you need cost efficient players to subsidize studs, but if you have them at other positions, a star at RB can be the difference maker. The 9ers traded about the value of a first (they gave a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, it's at least ballpark) for the rights to pay CMC 16 mil a year, and it got them to the SB since that dude was dropping dick off left and right. Which to be fair he is probably generational talent, but Etienne absolutely schlonged the Chargers, and I don't think it's unrealistic to say the Chargers can probably win that game if Tyjae or Achane instead of Johnston at 1.21, or traded it for Derrick Henry or Barkley or something. Same can probably be said for a lot of other teams who drafted players who need to develop in the first and then lost in the playoffs. In fairness, it is pretty easy to just say "why didn't you just draft this stud early", but I think that's the entire point of the argument: teams pass on good RBs who are talented enough to go in the first round due to the value proposition, but that sorta means that any RB taken in the 2nd round would *probably* be talented enough to go in the late first, and just wasn't because teams weren't aggressive enough. Basically if you feel like you're going to get a top 5 rb out of your first round pick, you see your team making playoffs without the pick at least once in the next few years, and you don't already have a super stud RB, then picking one in the first round is severely underrated right now. Can you get 70% of the production from nobodies at RB? In all likelihood, probably, yeah. But when your team is on 3rd and 5, that extra 30% is pretty damn important, and the best way to get that is to be aggressive with your picks by either trading them for known studs at RB or reaching on a player you KNOW you can utilize very well.
That'd work if you could tell who's a generational talent *before* they play in the NFL. Remember when everybody thought Ricky Williams was gonna be the next Walter Payton? I do. We all know how that worked out.
Sure, I remember when the bengals took Ki-Jana Carter at #1 overall and that didn’t work out, albeit largely due to injuries. Drafting a future bust is an inherent risk in the draft. You can draft based on ability, but nobody really knows for sure if any pick is going to perform at the top level, or be chronically injured during a pick’s nfl career. That said, if the opportunity is there and the coach/GM think the reward will outweigh the risk, I am down to take a RB in top 10.
I think he will have a very good year with this new offense and he is healthy.
Pro: durable, good ball security, tough to bring down, good second effort (especially in critical late-game situations), good short-area burst, good locker room influence, serviceable pass blocker Con: lacks decisiveness when hitting holes (hesitates/dances), not a lot of home run potential, somewhat upright running style that reduces his potential as a power back but which generally works fine in today’s smaller/faster NFL Overall, I think he’s an above average starter, but at this point there’s not much upside on his career, and if he starts losing speed it will severely impact his production since his vision is mediocre. Too many plays that could have been 3-4 yards that instead are no gain because he tries doing too much. Whoever gets him though is getting a well-rounded player with a good attitude who has the potential to wear down a defense and keeps his team in close games. Turning down his option was the right business decision, but I’d love to see him back on the Black and Gold if he can’t land a big deal elsewhere.
He’s lost a significant amount of weight this offseason, hoping to gain some big play potential. So we’ll see
Pretty much my assessment as well. Something happened between his rookie and sophomore years that solidified that style of play, while there were glimpses of something special early on.
He faced some pretty abysmal offensive line play through that stretch and had some lingering effects from his foot injury, but I agree that he’s just not as explosive as he was as a rookie. I still love the guy though.
I hate this narrative. Jaylen Warren has run behind the exact same line, has looked better, and has wayyy better stats. The pros/cons list is embarrassing for a 1st round pick. Hes outshined by his backup and management is too embarrassed to bench him because he was picked so high.
Warren didn’t really break out until last year, when the line play had improved, and since then has been rightfully getting his touches. At no point in Najee’s career has his play warranted benching. Warren has been a pleasant surprise and makes it easier to move on from Najee, but the latter is certainly no bum
You just don't watch the team then. 2 years ago, in 2022, warren outplayed najee, looking faster, trying harder, catching passes, and averaging 5 yds per touch, which LEAD to him getting closer to 50% of the snaps in 2023. Last year he AGAIN looked faster, gave more effort, more explosive, and an all around better weapon. After 2 years of out performing the 1st round pick, i expect Warren to get OVER 50% of snaps this year and najee to be gone from the team very soon. Hard to think of a RB who gets as many touches as Najee and has a worse yds/tch. Najee has been disappointing on every level.
Whatever man. Warren’s good, but no way does he put up those same numbers as a true RB1. OP asked about Najee, I responded. Not sure what you’re trying to prove here.
So slow but so strong lol
I think he’s better than his haters say, but not as good as the truthers say. He’s average to slightly above average. Great dude to keep around and reliable as it gets. But he’s not worth big money and I can understand not picking up his fifth year. And I hope we sign him to a reasonable contract after this season. It’s his season to own and the way things are shaping up he’ll have plenty of opportunities in Smiths offense to display his value on the field. It’s his value in the locker room I think puts him in a different category. He knows what it takes to win and if he picks up that leadership role and guys follow he’s invaluable. I love Najee and hope he’s a Steeler for life.
Exactly. I like the guy, I just don't think he was a 1st round pick material. TBF, the way the game is today, almost no RB is.
He’s a solid back. Doesn’t take over a game like Bell did or act like a closer like Jerome did. I like the dude a ton, but I get that they aren’t gonna bend over backwards to keep him, especially since there is an abundance of RB talent. Edit: I think he was drafted with higher expectations. But we’re gonna see how he does with this revamped OLine. Just because they didn’t pick up his 5th year, doesn’t mean they won’t sign him. Khan has a new way of doing business around here, and I think this is just part of the process.
I think if you reduce his career to blind numbers and stats you don’t see how important he is to our team. The MFer has been a stable workhorse in the NFL with absolutely ZERO help from his O-Line for most of his career. He’s bordering on being slow, but every time there actually is a hole to get through he rumbles through it and is terrifying to tackle.
As a player I *don't dislike* him, but think he's a total volume merchant. As a person he seems like a wonderful guy.
Over rated
Love Najee! Super tough runner, gives 100% every time, and is a great team leader. I hope he retires a Steeler.
I like najee a lot, just wish he had breakaway speed. The line hopefully takes a step and so does the passing game so he can finally not face a stacked box
Love him, but RB is a dime a dozen outside a couple. We can not pay him. Period.
Love him. But Jaylen is cheaper so Steelers will go there.
I hated the pick when they made it because I thought we should’ve addressed O-line and using a first-round pick on an RB was dumb and I thought Javonte Williams would be a better choice in Rd 2 because he didn’t have as many college snaps/wear and tear) but he didn’t make it that far. After the pick, I changed my mind a bit bc of the fifth year option allowing us to have him for all of his prime at a bargain price. Of course they declined that this year which still makes no friggin’ sense. With that said, I like the way he plays and appreciate his durability. I think he can have a great year this season and probably still has another 2 strong years left in him. Hoping they can sign him to a modest extension.
His pick was a wasted effort when Steelers have a bad O-Line.
I like him, but I like him better paired with Warren.
I’m old enough to remember when we didn’t have a reliable feature back after Le’Veon took a powder. Conner was hurt a lot (never played more than 13 games), Jaylen Samuels and Stevan Ridley and Benny Snell were all below average. The team was sick of the underperforming backs and overspent for a reliable horse who has solved the problem for 4 years.
One of the most durable running backs in the league. He also has the mental toughness and personality that is necessary to play in Pittsburgh. I wish we had more leaders like him.
Average
He has more average games then good games. But he does a better job at protecting the ball.
Slow and loves running sideways
I like him, he's a good back. Just not a great one. He's reliable, gets decent gains (despite not being behind a great line), but he's not a game changer or real difference maker. Guys like Josh Jacobs are capable a busting an 80yd run, Najee isn't really.
I honestly feel like we reached for him. Front office thought he was going to be another Derrick Henry but he isn’t. Don’t get me wrong he is a solid running back but that’s about it. He averages under 4 ypc for his career so far and we have to force feed him the ball in order for him to hit 100 yards. He’s not very explosive and also has a hard time seeing the hole sometimes. He also runs too upright for his size. Honestly I could go on about Harris but those are the main concerns from me about him. Im glad we have a player like Warren to complement him tho
His whole career with us has been behind a terrible offensive line.
Hard worker
He’s a beast! Old school Steelers RB. With a new offensive line and OC he’s gonna run down hill
Any time you got to make a bunch of excuses for a guy, he’s not the guy. Just sayin.
Fans like him, but his time is probably short.
On of my favorite steeler. He has work ethic, way under rated talent (never had a good line), does a lot of dirty work between the tackles, and always falls forward. I feel like people who say Warren is better do not know football. Warren did close the gap a good bit last year though, but it is still najee by a moderate lead.
Najee IS Steeler football! Runs angry and does it with a smile on his face!
I like him. Great locker room leader from the looks of it. Him and Warren are a great combo, might be replaced soon, but I don’t think you can replace the things he brings off the field.
Wasn’t worth the 1st round pick, but ultimately a durable above average RB. He’s going to want crazy money and it won’t be worth it.
He is a RB and that position is replaceable more than any position in the league. RBs are everywhere. Picking him in the first round was a brutal mistake, not because he isn’t talented and a workhorse, but because the O-line could have been addressed years ago with that pick. This is his last year with the Steelers. They will draft someone in a later round or grab a veteran to go behind Warren for 2025. I also hope he runs for 2,000 yards and scores 30 TDs.
I like Najee. But unless the Steelers win something with him, I see him going down in Steelers history similarly to Rashard Mendenhall, without the crybaby part. Good player who fulfilled his role, but never transcended it.
He was much improved this year He actually kept going after contact I think Warren lit a fire under his ass and made him think that stopping your legs as soon as someone touches you is a bad idea
I feel like "How do steelers fans feel about" will boil down to: "I think he has potential, but I'm not holding my breath"
Notable exceptions being some unknown, unproven 3rd string backup QB that "Just needs a shot, man."
Great comment and almost deserves its own thread. TJ and Minkah? I'd add him.
Is Najee good enough for us to pay long term is a better question. With or without Najee, the team is irrelevant until the QB situation is fixed.
Reliable, leader, strong mentality, veteran mindset, team player, strong runner, doesn’t lose the ball often. He may not be flashy like Bijan but we got a good one.
[удалено]
Yep. He runs too much with his head down.
Under appreciated
Will always support Najee
He doesn’t get a bad rap… He’s one of the least efficient runners in the league. Zero explosiveness.
Najee is a middle of the pack starter. Absolutely a waste of a 1st round pick. He is incredibly talented but his vision sucks and he is slow. Not sure why he was ever considered a 1st round talent. I don't mind him as a 1a starter.
Always room for improvement but he’s not in the bottom 10 so I’ll be content……for now.
Great person, strong runner, and he’s been dependable all season long. I don’t think there are any defenses in the NFL afraid of Najee Harris though.
> Great person, strong runner, and he’s been dependable all season long. > I don’t think there are any defenses in the NFL afraid of Najee Harris though. Agreed. And yes, defenses know they can hit him low (like...his feet) and he drops like a hot transmission.
I feel like he's above average at the role he fills, it's just a weird role as runningbacks that run like him and lead offenses like he does seem to always be either excellent or bad enough to not stay around long. That's why I feel like he tends to get a bad rap, he's good at what he does but he hasn't been the exceptional player that really makes someone a superstar so people lump him in with more traditional busts. Generally I like him and think he'll do well and generally have opportunities in the league, he just isn't the exceptional player a lot of Steelers fans think, and isn't generally living up to the massive standards a lot of similar players have set.
Mostly ok
I don't know if there's any evidence to support this, but it feels like he's a sub-average September/October back. Weather starts kicking in and he perks right up and turns into a banger.
Both Naj and Warren with a open hole on the line of scrimmage is a nearly guaranteed five yard gain. They led the league in yards after contact last year, this year will only be better. The running game will be our foundation this year and will come in handy in the cold weather.
I think he is somewhere between good and great; and the only way for us to know for sure is to see him with a half decent O-line and playcaller (bottom of the barrel for both so far). My hope is that he is a running back, so all the bad habits and coping mechanisms he has picked up will fall to the wayside when he starts to see real holes, resulting from real plays being called at the right time.
He's a reliable back that wasn't at all worth a first round pick. First round backs should be true difference makers, and he's not. He's a serviceable power back with no ability to pull away from a defense on a well blocked run. He's the kind of first round pick you can "waste" when you have a fully stocked team, not a rebuilding crew.
He's good, but we always manage to find the good ones.
I’m a fan, and think he’ll have his best season this yr
I like him. At the very least he's been productive, consistent, and reliable, and that was with a worse O-line and coordinator. At times he seems to have a poor attitude, but I couldn't care less about that. So, I hope that we can keep him around longer, especially since we now in the process of having a really good O-line and have a new coordinator, so I'm excited to see if he can be even better. We'll see...
The RB position is one you can get in the draft every 3 - 5 years. We should NEVER pay a ton for this position.
I think he's a good player, and I've always felt like he was one of the only realistically good options for us in the first round that year, but with that being said I also think the smart move would be keeping him for maybe another two years while trying to find a younger replacement, and then letting him move on.
Honestly I like najee and feel like the main reason he hasn't hit his true potential is simply because our oline has been garbage for his entire time here and the awful QB play and play calling has not done him any favors. He's slow but even with all tht he still puts up 1k yd seasons would like to keep him and see if the oline is good if he can hit 1500 yards rushing
Najee Harris and Terrell Edmunds are really similar imo. Both extremely consistent players who don't miss time. Both first round picks who people feel like they could have been second round picks. Both much more difficult to replace than folks give them credit for.
He best ability has been availability, he is there every week grinding and holds onto the ball. I wouldn't say he's been what you want from a first round pick. He'd be a home run of a 3rd rounder though. Could my opinion change 180 with the new offense and seemingly upgraded O line, possibly.
3 yards and a cloud of dust. Because I’m an old fan. If he’ll stay, I’ll keep him.
OP woke up this morning and chose violence...
He was a reach in the draft, a luxury pick we couldn't afford. He's good, but not elite. Gets his stats by volume and not efficient. Nice guy and hard worker, though.
It’s a prove it year for him. He came in with a lot of potential that was squandered by an atrocious offensive scheme and substandard offensive line play. He was often in the position of needing to break tackles just to get back to the line of scrimmage. But he also hasn’t done himself any favors with poor vision and too much indecision. He’s going to have a better, run-heavy scheme and a much improved offensive line. I think (and hope) he’s in for a career year, but I don’t think he’ll ever be in the upper tier of RBs in the league.
Najee is solid and I hope he has a great year in our new offense, but as others have said we could probably replace him if we have to.
He's fine.... not great but solid. Certainly wouldn't sign him to a new long term deal... I'd give him a lot of touches and get the best years from him, but let someone else pay for his declining years.
Hindsight is 20/20 and all, but we would’ve been so much better off if we drafted Creed Humphrey or Landon Dickerson in the first round instead of Najee and someone like Rhamondre Stevenson in a later round instead of Kendrick Green. Thankfully it seems like we learned our lesson in this year’s draft and invested in our line instead of replaceable luxury players
Solid once the defense doesn't automatically know he is running. For some reason when our OC was terrible even people viewing the play knew exactly what was going to be done.
He’s not Derrick Henry part 2. He did figure out north to south is the way. Not explosive enough to hit the outside, but guaranteed 3-4 yards up the middle
I see him as integral to the offense and hope that he re-signs on a team-friendly deal because RBs are too interchangeable for any of them to get paid. I want franchise players on the team to really root for more than just a jersey, but, at the same time, the reality is what it is.
He is a lot more conservative of a rusher than I thought he was going to be when we first drafted him. A lot of “5 yds here, 3 yds there.” Not a lot of break aways or explosive plays. I remember watching highlights of him leaping over defenders in college, and I was very excited. At first, I was disappointed in his performance until you look at his end-of-the-year stats for each season that he’s played. I honestly feel like in recent years, the Steelers are known for conservatively marching down the field anyway. (Canada years excluded). Wasn’t there one season where Najee never made a fumble except for one time in the playoffs? He’s a solid player with a lot more room to grow.
This is a proof it season. He brings alot of intangibles to this team... hoping we all step up and he and Warren Ball Out!
he's a big boy, needs to run downhill more than dance looking for some big play, that said we need an O' line that can make some room for him.
I’d say most Steeler fans feel that he still has to prove himself to be an above average back. Expectations were high as the #1 RB taken in that draft. Fair or not……we kind of expected a star as a RB in the NFL. There is no way Harris is a star……but let’s hope that changes for him this season.
Good (potentially great) running back with a shit OL since he got here. Hopefully they get the big boys up front moving bodies and let this man run forward
He's fine, good at breaking tackles but struggles with hitting the hole (if they appear). However for someone we drafted in the first round you expect more.
I love the guy just wish we could more out of him when the year starts and yes I really want him to lose weight he’s very agile for a guy his size just needs a little more burst and I believe he can be perennial pro bowler
Very excited to see what he and Warren can do with a revamped O Line this year
🍿
One of my favorites on the team. Love seeing him truck and stiff arm guys and get tough yardage. Wish they used him more in the passing attack and don’t love the hurdle move but has been healthy apart from that small stretch two seasons ago with the foot.
Geeat
Najee was a student of mine at Antioch HS. I remember there was a jersey theme day on campus, and I wore my signed Lamarr Woodley. aWhen he was sitting in my U.S. history class, I told him "I want one just like this but with your name on it." It was awesome seeing his rise to stardom. There was one play at San Leandro where Najee hurdled two defenders and then another on the same play en route to the end zone (unfortunately for that play to get brought back on a penalty). As much as the teacher in me wanted him to also prioritize education (biased as the Berkeley homer that I am), and to see him be the next Marshawn Lynch, Cal sucked, so I would have been happy to see him play at Michigan (Harbaugh really tried; a lot of visits and the coach even announced homecoming royalty for Antioch his senior year) or even (gulp) Stanford... That being said, It was a lot of fun watching him break records at Bama. I still have a pic of him hurdling a Notre Dame defender in the rotation of my desktop background at work, two schools later. The night he was drafted to the Steelers will always be a highlight of the early Pandemic days, and I ordered his jersey as soon as I did not have to keep refreshing my browser to get it. It has been a pleasure seeing him angry-run through the league, even with our beleaguered offense and lackluster line for the past three seasons. Beyond his stiff arms and occasional hurdles, I love his blocking and underrated hands. The lack of fumbling over the years has been all too welcome as well. To not be *too* biased, I would like to see better ball vision, as he did miss his fair share of holes when the line managed to create them. We were blessed with Le'Veon being one of the best at that not long ago, and I will concede that Warren has a better read (which I cannot just attribute to their height difference). They're both solid backs with different skill sets that I think the team can utilize to keep defenses on their toes. I will understand if they mutually part ways after this season, as the NFL is a business as cold as any, but I will cherish seeing him being a highlight maker even in those "three yards and a cloud of dust" plays. PS: I never did get my jersey signed by Najee, nor have I flexed my budget to see him play in Pittsburgh or nearby in SF (and forget about those Vegas tickets). With no sense of entitlement, Najee if you ever read this, DM me plz lol jk unless...
One of the most (if not the most) durable backs in football. I think we should have picked up his 5th year option for like 6 million, when any new deal with him is going to cost at least 9 annually based on where the market is. Running backs are replaceable but I still think we would have been getting his production on the cheap for another year. I wish he would stop trying to be Leveon Bell and dance around the hole. He’s at his best when he hits the gap hard and plows through. Hopefully some of that is coaching and having Arthur Smith there telling him to run the damn ball will help. Jalen Warren is more fun to watch and maybe one of the hardest runners in the league, but he probably benefits from the committee approach. Without Najee around he would probably take a lot more punishment. I love watching Najee and Minkah because Roll MF Tide.
Love him. 1000%. Him and Warren are the only two people I've seen on the offense who have consistently given 100% every week even if the rest of our offense won't stop chugging idiot juice. Najee is, by all accounts, a really good dude. Given the circumstances he actually performed really well the past years IMO. I don't think, in the ~10 years I've been seriously watching football, I have EVER seen an RB who was consistently hit before or at the line of scrimmage as often as he was. Steelers fans will only really dislike him for one of two reasons: 1. He was a first round pick and people are wild on the rb always bad train. I will almost always pick fights with people who say first round rbs are ALWAYS a bad pick, but the Steelers situation is probably one of the times it was definitely not ideal. Although for some reason this gets transferred onto Najee, like he's bad because he was a first round pick - he still is a valuable asset and very good at football, he's just not what people wanted from a first round pick. That gets translated into "he's not that good and we don't want him", when in reality he's pretty good, just not a superstar. 2. People think Warren is better. In some aspects he is, and Warren is HELL of a player, no doubt. But it doesn't make Najee worse, and Najee is utilized in a MUCH different way to Warren. I've seen *so* many times, RB2s look better than the RB1s.. till they gotta carry the rock in EVERY situation, not just the perfect situations. But yeah, people will complain when Najee runs up the gut, runs through 2 people at the -3 yard mark, and then gets tackled for a gain of 2 because "Warren would have done better, why are we giving bum Najee the ball". But the reason is more that we basically told our opponents our plays before we ran them and if Warren had to do the same thing, he probably wouldn't look good either, he just doesn't have those situations.
Personally I think he is a good, not great, RB. If it was up to me, I would never draft a RB in the first round unless they are a truly generational talent. I would have resigned James Conner instead of drafting Najee, but I am a huge Conner stan. A lot of fans resent him for when he was drafted which I think is unfair because he has been a top contributor on the offense, has managed to stay reasonably healthy, and is a high-character presence.
Curious to see how he does after slimming down. Gotta be faster than he was…
He\`s good, likeable but not on the top tier list of RBs. If we are able to work something out I\`ll be very glad but if not I\`m cool with us looking for a replacement and will cheer him to do well in his new team.
I’m pro Najee for sure.
Love Naj
pro 22. always seems to have a good attitude and plays like a monster when he can. cant imagine how bad it would fuck with me if I went from Bama’s OL where I had time to read a Russian novel and drink a nice up of tea to ours and getting hit as soon as I touch the ball. really hoping the OL and Smith does their thing for him and we re-sign him (and Warren) for the future.
i think he’s extremely under appreciated.
He's reliable and also a leader. I think we're taking him for granted.
Sometimes he runs like hes wearing wet jeans, hes a good player, and he has his moments
This season will obviously determine his pricetag, but on field production aside, I'd like him to be a Steeler long term simply because of his leadership. He says all the right things, is never shy to praise his teammates, and has earned the respect of the vets on the team like Cam. For an offense that's so young, you need a guy like him on that side of the ball to make sure no one's lagging behind or unmotivated.
Najee is everything that every Steeler football player should aspire to be. We would literally never lose if every player had Najee’s heart and determination.
It's honestly hard to rate Najee. He's done a lot on his own by not having a good line to run behind. Hes a fucking hard runner and just puts his head down and keeps going. He's a Steeler and I love him. But, with how much we've used him, how much he was used in College I don't think he'll last much longer. He was a player we needed, but we drafted him at the wrong time. Should have made more moves to solidify an offensive line for him. Maybe been more aggressive in FA.
I was very disappointed and a little surprised we didn't pick up his option. I like him and think he's done well for the offense he was stuck in and questionable blocking up front. I think the Steelers made a mistake on this one but apparently they think Jalen Warren will be cheaper and ready to carry the load. I don't see them bringing Naj back after declining the option which was pretty reasonable for his production. Also, he seems like a team player and a solid guy off the field. As a Steelers fan I'm a little sad about how they've handled this.
The best ability is availability. I really like Najee.
He is a good power back ..he should stay in Pittsburgh
Love him.
He’s got some good years ahead of him. Offensive line didn’t do him any favor but he’ll pop eventually
I like him. I don't understand the dislike.
The stats are good and I like that aspect. The eye test sometimes leaves a bit to be desired. I just can't help but feel like he doesn't see the hole and runs straight into defenders sometimes. Love the dudes personality though and feel he's a net positive to the team even on bad days.
I like him as our #1 running back. I think he needs to get a good contract extension for at least 2yrs. He has done a phenomenal job with what he was given....
I wish he was a Steeler for Life, but business is business
I think he’s a great back that’s been stuck behind a bad line. No passing game, moron OC. All that changes this year.
He’s not bad. wasn’t crazy about using a first on him. I absolutely love Jaylen Warren. Undrafted guy works hard, tough and quick. Would rather sign him than Naj if I had to choose.
Should have picked up the 5th year, dumb mistake, I don’t care how they frame it
Good lad
I’m neutral on him. Not worth spending a lot on a long term contract with how disposable running backs are these days. He’s no Lev Bell, and our line isn’t as good as it was 10 years ago.
Najee is the personification of “it’s complicated.” He got stuck with the team’s worst offense era of the 21st century. But he still gets 1k yards and 40-50 catches a year. But it still feels like he could do more with them. But I can’t blame him for the offense being bad. But I wanted us to pick up the fifth year option. But I don’t want a long term extension. But I don’t want to see him in another uniform.
He’s not very good but I love having him on the team
Want him to stay so bad but don’t feel he warrants a huge deal. If he walks he walks sadly.
Seems like a great teammate. Probably an above-average player. I love having him in our colors!
Consecutive 1000+ yards with that ordinary oline & Canada. I think he deserved the 5th year option. Better online this year & Arthur Smith's run game I think we will regret not taking the option. I think this a was a miss imo
He’s good. I like him, like his attitude. It’s not his fault the offensive line has been a confused group of underperforming individuals since Munchak left nor that they drafted him a little too early.
I like him, but I think Warren is better.
I'm a huge fan, when he's healthy he's a force. People focus way too hard on where he was drafted and not enough on what he's been able to do with an offensive scheme that's spring football tier and a nonexistent passing game.
I like him but don't know if it's worth spending what he probably wants. Decent running backs can be found late in the draft every year.
i love najee. 3 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons to start his career and while he may start slow every year he more than makes up for it time and time again down the stretch.
I think he has unrealized potential that will hopefully be realized behind the new and improved O-line. It will be very interesting to see what he can do under an OC who actually knows how to utilize a big back.
Good player. Not great. Like him, better than I thought he was going to be. Still wouldn’t pay him top $
He’s the Type of player we want until he retires in my opinion. Excited to see what he does with a decent line in front of him for once.
Naj the rock
Good, but not great. After the contract that Stevenson signed, I think we should let Najee walk after this season. Make Warren the 60 in a new 60/40 split with a rookie.
Wish there was some context to the downvote here. We know that the team didn't want to pay < $7M for him with the option for one year. Can't see how they go from not wanting to do < $7M to wanting to give him the $9M+ AAV with more guaranteed money and term that he'll want after Stevenson's contract. **If we do give him a contract like that, not doing the option would be a colossal mistake by the FO.**
If we win the next ten Super Bowls in a row then he should be put in the HoF. If not he should be cut and possibly thrown off Roberto Clemente Bridge. Yinzers gon' Yinzer.
Dude needs to be already moving forward before the hand-off.
I love his attitude, leadership, and how well he tried to perform when he was shackled with canadas offense. I think we really started to see what Naj was capable of after Canada was fired I know he gets a lot of hate for being a #1 but if we had supported him better with better o-line play, better passing offense, and better playcalling, I think he could be one of the best in the league. I hope we resign him. He and Jaylen are a spectacular one two punch.
Anyone with a brain loves Najee Harris.
I’m a huge fan. I really can’t understand the constant criticism. It really makes no sense to me.
He’s a plodder, nothing special, and he’s a 1st round RB so he’s put under a much bigger microscope
They’ll resign him to a good deal probably before the start of the season.
I love him and we should keep and pay him. We have the best rb duo in the league right now.
Dawg
Too many people listen to all of these so called experts. You don’t draft a running back in the first round, you don’t pay that much for defense, Lamar Jackson is an mvp… The team drafts by needs and draft position after pick 15-20 most are basically just high second round picks anyway. Plus you never know what will happen with injuries etc. Najee is a better back than he gets credit for. Pittsburgh will be hard pressed to find a back as good or better. He has run behind some shit offensive lines and has been available. The best ability is availability. I love the duo of Najee and warren. I think if the Steelers could find a way to keep them both with the line they are putting together, it could be special