Caleb Harris
Already a workaholic, Najee Harris upped the ante this off-season. The Pittsburgh Steelers running back is in great shape as he continues to prepare for next season, the last on his rookie contract after Pittsburgh declined to pick up his fifth-year option.
Harris’s offseason included making modifications to his diet as well as purchasing his own 1080 Sprint machine. Harris would probably be working hard anyway, but it’s safe to say that external factors keep him motivated.
“Everything is fueling his fire to have an even better season than last year and prove a lot of people wrong,” Harris coach Josh Scott said. said Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “There’s a lot of people that hate him for whatever reason, but he’s been as consistent as possible. He’s durable. I think he’s going to stick with it. I mean, the contract season speaks for itself.”
Batko’s story includes a lot of good information about Harris, who hopes his off-season work will help him get more long runs in 2024. Big plays have been one of the only things Harris has been lacking. NFL resume, which includes being the first Steelers running back to rush for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons.
As Scott alluded to, Harris has been extremely durable. He never lost one NFL game and had the ball in his hands on 27 percent of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps in 2023. Harris often plays his best football down the stretch, another example of his impressive physical toughness. In Pittsburgh’s final three games of the 2023 season, Harris rushed for 312 yards and five touchdowns as the Steelers won each game and earned a wild-card playoff berth.
While possibly surprised, Harris apparently harbors no ill will toward the Steelers regarding their decision not to pick up his option. Harris knows there is a potential benefit to having the chance to enter free agency next offseason. If he plays well this season, he will only increase his market value, which will certainly be higher than what he would have earned under the fifth-year option.
Contracts aside, Harris is also motivated to help the Steelers reach the playoffs, something that hasn’t happened since 2016.
“We have to be more disciplined” Harris said right after Pittsburgh’s season-ending loss to Buffalo in the 2023 wild card round. “We have to be more committed. I’m not saying we’re not, but coming from a place that has structure and coming and just seeing, we could probably get help in those areas; make a change. This is something that can help.”
