The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the 2024 season looking to build on their success from last year. The team made the playoffs but was bounced out in the first round by the Buffalo Bills. Pittsburgh hasn’t made it past the wild-card round of the playoffs since the 2017 season, bringing some concern from the fanbase. The Steelers are known for being a championship-winning organization, but the last time they won a Super Bowl was in the 2008-2009 season.
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They have some pressure on their backs entering this year, especially with a new quarterback room. Pittsburgh brought in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to give themselves more relevancy at the position. The front office believes that the offense should be much better this year but there are still questions around their running back situation.
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Former first-round pick Najee Harris hasn’t lived up to the hype that surrounded him entering the league and the team opted to decline his fifth-year option. Steelers general manager Omar Khan opened up about the decision to not guarantee the fifth year for Harris.
“It was a business decision that we had to make by May 2,” Khan said during a Thursday appearance on 93.7 The Fan. “But Najee’s awesome to have around here. Love Najee as a player and a person. Just because we didn’t pick it up doesn’t exclude us from doing something with Najee long term. I’d love to say Najee was here and had a long career in Pittsburgh. He really represents us well on the field and off the field.”
When Harris was drafted out of the University of Alabama, he was seen as the next great running back in the NFL. However, he hasn’t quite put together what the Steelers were hoping for. To his credit, Harris has posted over 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons, but the team believed he could be more dynamic while on the field.
He isn’t the best at making reads and adjusting to what the defense gives him. This has caused issues within the offense and ultimately led to his option not being picked up.
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Pittsburgh brought in former Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith to run the offense, which should give a boost to it all. If Harris can produce this season, he may be able to secure his long-term future with the Steelers. However, after another lackluster performance, Pittsburgh may cut ties with him once and for all.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.