It’s hard to look at the numbers and be terribly disappointed in the rookie season for Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris. He was the workhorse back for the Steelers run game and finished the season fourth in the NFL in rushing yards.
Each of Harris’ carries was hard to watch, however, as he labored for every yard and the team finished No. 29 in rushing yards in the NFL. Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert addressed the media on Tuesday and said he hopes for more from Harris in his second season.
“I hope Najee can build off what he did last year,” Colbert said. “It wasn’t the start he envisioned, but he and we hope there’s more.”
Some of Harris’ problems can certainly be attributed to the struggles along the offensive line. Harris had only 525 of his 1,200 rushing yards before contact last season. But some of his struggles were self-inflicted. Harris lacked patience and appeared to try to turn every carry into a big one. He was looking to run the ball the way he did in college but doesn’t have the speed to do it in the NFL.
What do you expect from Harris this season? Give us your predictions in the comments below.
