3 reasons the Pittsburgh Steelers remain in win-now mode

Steelers Najee Harris

Last year, Pittsburgh did the unthinkable and drafted what appears to be one of the best running back from the 2021 draft class, Najee Harris. The running back from Alabama, had a strong showing in his rookie campaign. Rushing for 1,200 yards behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league just proves his talent level.

Harris is a vital piece to the Steelers’ competitive nature. There was no expectation for Ben Roethlisberger to finish his career winning a Super Bowl last year. Some fans were disappointed in the first-round selection because they would have rather seen Pittsburgh rebuild their offensive line. Most running backs in the league can only play at an elite level for such a short amount of time due to injuries. Only some running backs can continue that elite play into their second contract, while most cannot, Le’Veon Bell for instance.

I won’t speculate about how Najee’s career will pan out, but considering recent trends of running backs, the Steelers should approach his play with a small window of time in mind. Pittsburgh acquired additional pieces on the offensive line through free agency this year. With better blocking, Steelers fans should expect Harris to take his game to another level. Re-establishing a strong run game will give Pittsburgh a competitive edge. Najee Harris is a running back that will keep the Steelers a competitive team. Najee will give Pittsburgh a better shot to make a deep playoff run.