Steelers begin new era on offense with Russell Wilson at QB and Najee Harris trying to prove value

Najee Harris has heard the ethos of the modern NFL that running backs as irrelevant as they have ever been in football. He has the companion failing of having no guarantee of a contract beyond this season to back it up.

But for those who in their attempts to downplay his worth stating that running backs aren’t as valuable anymore, or that the Steelers don’t value him, which is why they didn’t draft him, he proved the doubters wrong by touching the ball 978 times and gaining 4,135 yards from scrimmage for them in the past three seasons.

To Harris, and for the rest of the NFL running backs that he represents, that translates to great value.

No, I wouldn’t say devalued,” Harris said on Wednesday regarding the conditions of the position in the NFL. “They are only rendered with little worth whenever one has to make a payment. ”

When asked by reporters for the first time after the Pittsburgh Steelers in May rejected the star’s fifth-year contract option for the year 2025, Harris was visibly upset.

“Me sitting here and saying I’m a devalued position where there are games where I literally carry the offense giving me the ball (repeatedly)?” Harris said, rhetorically, as he began reporting to Saint Vincent College for the start of training camp yesterday. Worse the response said, “It’s not really devalued, it is just when it comes time to pay you, that’s when they want to devalue the position. Which, it is what it is. ”

While explaining as to why they rejected Harris’ option, the Steelers are claimed to have expressed their humility when it comes to the future development and direction of the team’s offense and the position that Harris occupies in the team offense. The unit’s most visible elements were revamped in the offseason, especially with former Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith taking over as the new coaching officer of the offense and former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson signing a one-year contract.

The news concerned an incident in which Wilson went to an off-site camp for the first time after entering the NFL a dozen years ago. The next three weeks will mark his initial orderly practices on a college campus since Wisconsin to the Big Ten championship in 2011, after four years at N. C. State.

“Latrobe I have heard about for years,” Wilson said, “but to be here? The old-school style training camp, love it, It is all about ball. ”

Although the Steelers acquired former Chicago Bears starting quarterback Justin Fields during the offseason as they revamped the position entirely, Wilson has grinded for recognition from his head coach Mike Tomlin who stated that the young quarterback is in the “pole position” of taking the starting role in the beginning of the season. Wilson was the first-team offense for the entire OTAs and minicamp this spring, and that should be the case of these next three weeks at Saint Vincent College, that is an hour’s drive from Pittsburgh.

A few of them observed on Wednesday that Wilson’s seriousness, a trait that comes with being 35 years, is what is needed in the offense.

“He’s done a great job so far,” said T. J, watt who champions defensive player of the year. “He is quite tough to face as an opponent, he is composed most of the time especially at the line.

“He is a very calm and composed character, always at the right level of emotion, and enjoys the contest I am glad he is with us. ”

Like Fields, Wilson is not a very secure player and he has signed a one-year deal. Harris too is contracted for a season more with Stoke City. The former undrafted Harris backup Jaylen Warren is also here, the Harris’ playing time has been gradually devoured by him in the past two seasons.

Harris will be 27 when free agency commences next March, and in each season since he was a rookie first-round pick to the Pro Bowl in the 2021 NFL season, the former Texas Longhorn’s touches and yards from scrimmage have diminished.

Perhaps, Harris has accepted the realities of life knowing fully that, in today’s NFL, a running back in the latter half of his 20s will not attract a big payday in free agency as players in other positions might do at the end of their rookie deals. As he did in the previous year at this time, Harris suggested that running backs have been plotting on a way to become more appreciated.

Generally there is something happening but I do not want to reveal it, angrily remarked Harris. I can have perception of what is going on sometimes.

“Right now we’re not in the best position because if they tell us like this (particular) game you have got to carry the ball this number of times, you can’t say no, won’t look good on you no more huh. ” So at the moment you really have no bargaining power right now as a running back. I don’t know there’s really nothing that you can do.