How the Steelers proceeded in 2021 without JuJu?

Najee Harris

Syracuse coach Floyd Burdette Schwartzwalder supposedly once told his coaching staff when you have a stallion, you don’t keep him in the stable. The supposed quote was in reference to Syracuse freshman Ernie Davis. Whether Najee Harris can be compared to the likes of Ernie Davis is one thing; however, he is a stallion nonetheless.

After his lackluster week one performance, Najee has stepped up and gotten better each week, culminating in his first hundred-yard rushing game in week five. And in case you missed it, Najee had the most receptions of any Steelers running back or player in his first four games. Not only can he run he has morphed into an excellent receiving back as well.

Sometimes as the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.   Well, if Najee can catch and run and gain yardage, then perhaps there is no need to worry about JuJu. Get the ball into the hands of your young stallion, let him do the work, and make the big plays. Then perhaps no one will remember that JuJu was even missing from the offense.

At this point, with the addition of Anthony Miller to the practice squad, it’s obvious the Steelers do not need to take any draconian measures. No knee-jerk reactions to make some big free-agent signing and no big last-minute trade. They feel they have the means and the talent to move on from JuJu’s injury and still compete.

Teams may not always make the correct decisions in matters like this; however, it may be the best course of action in the case of the Steelers.