Najee Harris

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• Steelers' Najee Harris: Provides unimpressive final line

  01/17/2022 •

  Harris (elbow) rushed 12 times for 29 yards while catching both of his targets for a loss of one yard and losing a fumble in Sunday's 42-21 loss to the Chiefs. Harris was able to suit up after injuring his elbow in the Steelers' regular-season finale, but a balky elbow can't explain away being stonewalled by the defense as a runner. Onlookers can probably attribute the lost fumble to the rookie's injury, as he safely secured every single touch during his first turn in the pros. The 2021 first-round pick finished the regular season with 1,667 combined yards and 10 combined touchdowns as the Steelers' workhorse over 17 games, giving him starter's appeal across all formats based on volume alone. However, a sub-par 3.9 yards-per-carry mark left much to be desired in terms of his abilities as a runner. Perhaps the spread nature of Pittsburgh's offensive scheme with Ben Roethlisberger under center handicapped the young back. Either way, we will see how Harris responds to potentially becoming the focal point of a new-look Steelers squad that will likely be without its leader of the past two decades.

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• Steelers' Najee Harris: All set for Sunday

  01/15/2022 •

  Harris (elbow), who was listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Chiefs, no longer carries an injury designation and will be available for the playoff contest. This was hardly a surprise given Harris was a full participant in Friday's practice. Given the pivotal nature of a playoff game, it would have been truly surprising to see the rookie unable to play, especially given his extensive workload this season. The rookie finished the 2021 regular season with 1,667 total yards on 381 total touches, easily the most among rookie ball carriers in the last five years.

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• Steelers' Najee Harris: Questionable for wild-card game

  01/14/2022 •

  Harris (elbow) was a full practice participant Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's wild-card game against the Chiefs, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports. Though players that close weeks as full participant don't typically get designations ahead of games, the Steelers appear to be exercising more caution with Harris since he didn't practice in any capacity Wednesday or Thursday. Even so, Harris told Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com before Friday's practice that he's feeling good after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection for his elbow, with most of the soreness he was experiencing having since subsided. As long as he didn't experience any setbacks with his elbow following his return to practice, the rookie will presumably be on the field for the postseason opener and ready to take on his usual three-down workload. While playing in all 17 of the Steelers' regular-season games, Harris was one of the NFL's most heavily-used backs with averages of 18.1 carries and 5.5 targets per contest.

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• Steelers' Najee Harris: Set to resume practicing Friday

  01/13/2022 •

  Harris (elbow) remained a spectator for Thursday's practice, but head coach Mike Tomlin said the running back will be back on the field for Friday's session, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports. Tomlin mentioned that how Harris fares in Friday's workout will be telling for the rookie's availability for Sunday's wild-card game in Kansas City. Harris proved supremely durable during the regular season, approaching each of the Steelers' 17 contests without an injury designation while finishing with a league-high 381 touches (307 carries, 74 catches). However, after injuring his elbow early in Pittsburgh's Week 18 win over Baltimore, Harris could be at risk of taking a questionable tag into the playoff opener if he's anything less than a full participant at Friday's practice.

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• Steelers' Najee Harris: Sits out Wednesday's practice

  01/12/2022 •

  Harris (elbow) didn't practice Wednesday, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports. Head coach Mike Tomlin previously said that Harris -- who suffered an elbow injury during the Steelers' Week 18 win over the Ravens but was able to return to the game -- would likely have his reps managed in practice to begin the week, so the running back's absence Wednesday isn't surprising. Harris' status will be worth monitoring ahead of Sunday's playoff game against Kansas City, with Tomlin noting that the team will let Harris' "practice participation and how he feels be our guide as we get closer to game time." Benny Snell and Kalen Ballage are next up for reps out of the backfield while Harris manages his elbow issue.

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