Steelers RB Najee Harris (knee) expected to play vs. Patriots (2024)

FAQs

Steelers RB Najee Harris (knee) expected to play vs. Patriots? ›

Steelers running back Najee Harris is expected to play in Thursday night's game against the visiting New England Patriots, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported on Good Morning Football. Harris popped up on the injury report Tuesday with a knee injury.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers opted not to pickup star running back Najee Harris' fifth-year option this offseason. Despite three-straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons to open his career, Harris will enter 2024 without long-term job security.

Michael France | May 23, 2024

Last season, the Steelers gave Jaylen Warren more looks as the second running back behind Najee Harris.

Harris has never missed a game in the NFL, so his durability is not in question. With a career average of 3.9 yards per carry, his ability to make big plays is a bigger issue and it seems he is hoping that being lighter on his feet will help lead to better results on that front.

An RB handcuff is basically an insurance back. He's the running back most likely to take over as the starter if the lead back gets hurt. More specifically, an RB handcuff lacks standalone value. He's not someone you can realistically insert into fantasy lineups while the starter is healthy and active.

Najee Harris Says He Isn't Wearing A Visor This Season: 'I Wanna See A MFer's Eyes' Najee Harris is going to look a little different this year. Not with weight, he's already dispelled that notion, but in uniform. This year, he's going sans visor for a very clear and concise reason.

He was named the Doak Walker Award winner in 2020, unanimous All-American, First Team All-SEC Player and the SEC Championship Game MVP. This was in addition to helping the Crimson Tide win the 2020 CFP National Championship. Harris is built to be an NFL running back, standing at 6-foot-1, and weighing 232-pounds.

Najee Harris signed a 4 Years, $13,047,447 contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers on May 25, 2021. The contract runs through the 2025 season and has an average annual value of $3,261,862. It also came with a $6,849,052 signing bonus and $13,047,447 guaranteed.

Instead, the only information that is available regarding Harris' 40 time is an unofficial clocking from his days at Alabama, where he reportedly recorded a 40 time of 4.45 seconds.

Why did the Steelers decline Najee Harris? ›

With the new offense being installed, the feeling is the organization wants to see how Harris and the other running backs function in Arthur Smith's offense before making a longer-term commitment to him. Harris and Fields are the latest Steelers to have their fifth-year options declined by the team.

Thomas Valentine of Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top 32 running backs ahead of the 2024 season, and he had Jaylen Warren ahead of Najee Harris. Valentine tabbed Warren as the 19th-best running back in the NFL, while Harris came in at No. 22.

Of those 2, StatMuse has Travis Etienne as the most highly rated. He is ranked 195th overall and is projected to put up 0 fantasy points this year.

Najee Harris has fumbled 5 times in his career.

Najee Harris Recorded His First 100-Yard Game Of 2023 In Cincinnati – And Then Lost It - Steelers Depot.

Dobbins. Handcuff: Gus Edwards.

Although the new-look Falcons are expected to lean more heavily on Bijan Robinson as a true workhorse lead back, Allgeier is one of the best handcuffs you can draft given the expectations for this new-look offense featuring Kirk Cousins at quarterback.

Elijah Mitchell, San Francisco 49ers

However, Mitchell's real value lies as a handcuff to the top-ranked player in fantasy, McCaffrey. While McCaffrey will be the 49ers' every-down back when healthy, it must be noted that injuries have been a problem for him over the past few years.