Najee Harris was quite vocal, along with several teammates, that he wanted things to change with the Pittsburgh Steelers offense — and it did. So, what gives?
While Jaylen Warren spoke glowingly about running backs coach Eddie Faulkner’s promotion, Harris did not. In fact, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, he flat-out refused to speak with Steelers media on Friday, indicating there’s some trouble brewing with the former first-round pick.
Did something with the approach to the ground game in preparation for the Cincinnati Bengals piss Harris off? A potential reason for his refusal is that Warren has overtaken him as the starter of the Steelers struggling offense. Chuks Okorafor was benched and has not played since his sideline outburst during the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 8.
Harris’s comments were made after a game in which he logged a baker’s dozen touches for 36 yards. Warren had fewer attempts (nine) but did far more with them. The bulk of his 129 yards came on a 74-yard touchdown. He added three receptions on three targets for 16 yards.
“Starter” is just a label when it comes to these two. They’ve seen plenty of action since Broderick Jones was inserted into the line and run blocking improved.
But if Harris has been demoted or the plan is for Warren to get the lion’s share of the snaps, that’s enough for Harris to want the hell out of Pittsburgh.
Or maybe he’s just having a bad hair day.
Najee Harris has been close with Faulkner since being drafted and has previously spoken glowingly about him. We've heard from many Steelers players about the OC change this week, but not Harris
Despite repeated attempts by Steelers PR on Friday, Harris didn't speak to the media https://t.co/qCbQYNNxir
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) November 24, 2023
