Through the first eight games of the 2024 season, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris is having a very strong season.
Harris is coming off his third straight 100-yard rushing game and is on track to set a career-high with 1,332 yards rushing.
Currently following offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme and playing behind an offensive line that is starting to come into its own in the run game, Harris is one of the best players in his career despite being plagued by numerous injuries. is playing football. He’s doing so in a contract year after the Steelers declined his fifth-year option in May.
It’s clear that Steelers running backs coach Eddie Faulkner is “on a mission” to prove that Harris is a good NFL running back this year.
“We have a great O-line staff, a coach who does a great job of giving us holes and giving us the details of what we need in the run game. And I think you’ve seen the product. Obviously Nagy has a mandate to play a part in what he’s trying to do with his career, and I fully support that.” Faulkner told reporters Wednesday, according to a video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “They’re playing hard and blocking. It’s fun when they do that.”
The run game has been firing on all cylinders over the past few weeks.
Harris gained 114 yards in Week 6 against the Las Vegas Raiders, including a 36-yard touchdown run. Harris rushed for 102 yards in Week 7 against the New York Jets, followed by a career-best 119 yards in Week 8 against the New York Giants, attracting the attention of the league.
He slimmed down for the season and looked great on film. He has added explosiveness to his game and is more fluid in his movements, which has led to some spectacular moves in the hole as an elusive running back. He continues to run exceptionally hard and exemplifies what it means to be a running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Faulkner was quick to say that Harris hasn’t changed the way he thinks or plays and isn’t playing any harder just because he has a mandate to do something in his career.
“I mean, if you watch him play and what he does, you might come to that conclusion. But Nagy has always been the guy, and I was just talking to him about this right now, he’s always been He was a man,” Faulkner said. “He’s going to give it his all between the white lines. Nobody questions that. So he’s always played hard and all of a sudden he’s playing harder. It’s hard to say.
“But of course he’s also a human being. He has some things he wants to accomplish and I want him to accomplish them.”
Harris may have benefited a bit from his contract year, but he’s always been a guy who’s worked his tail off and fought to the blade of grass whenever the football was in his hands.
He is also an emotional guy and will show his emotions, for better or for worse.
Things are looking very promising for Harris and the Steelers at the moment. Together they are making magic in the run game, leading to a great season for Harris.
