Former Steelers running back Najee Harris had some unflattering thoughts about his old team.
Now a member of the Chargers, Harris had some candid comments about his ex-team, expressing concern over the franchise’s lack of direction.
Harris spoke to KCAL last week about the Steelers’ offense transitioning from the end of the Ben Roethlisberger era to having Kenny Pickett come in as the successor.
He said the team “lacked” an offensive idenтιтy.
“It was just a team where we lost Ben, we lost the O-line, we just didn’t know anything on offense really, we didn’t have any idenтιтy,” Harris admitted. “We had a young guy coming in at QB. I was young. The team was young. I really didn’t have nobody to almost learn from on the offensive side. I think the veteran guy on that team was a two, three-year vet. And he’s still learning himself. And I’m coming in and I’m just trying to look for people to pick their brain and it was just defensive guys.”
Harris added: “So I’d go to the defensive guys and talk to them, but there wouldn’t be too much they could tell me about offensive things. So, through my years, I’ve learned a lot that only I learned first-hand. And I feel like [in LA], like we’ve got a lot of veterans that I can learn even more stuff from, even at the quarterback position, and the O-line position. So it was an interesting year there, I’ll just say that. Interesting year.”
Harris, drafted No. 24 overall in 2021, was the Steelers’ primary running back for all four seasons while with the team.
The Alabama alum has never missed a game, starting in 68 of 68 regular season appearances, rushing for 4,312 yards with four straight 1,000-yard seasons.
Harris signed with the Chargers on a one-year deal worth $9.5 million for the 2025 season, and he’s expected to start in the backfield alongside star quarterback Justin Herbert.
The 2021 Pro Bowler appeared in three playoff games with the Steelers, but Pittsburgh, which has lost its last six playoff games, hasn’t recorded a postseason win since 2016.
Los Angeles went 11-6 last year before its own first-round playoff exit.
