Following Pittsburgh's practice on Friday, Steelers running back Najee Harris informed reporters that he played with a steel plate in his shoe during the season's first five games. Harris took out the plate this week and said he feels 100 percent ahead of Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. Harris said the plate was the last step in his recovery process after suffering a foot injury during training camp.
Many had expected that Harris was still working his way back from the injury. Through five games, Harris struggled to match the success he had as a rookie, when he earned Pro Bowl recognition while helping the Steelers make the playoffs after a 1-3 start. Harris set franchise rookie records for rushing yards and all-purpose yards last season while helping the Steelers earn a wild card playoff berth.
"He missed some time in team development, and that may be a component of him finding or not finding rhythm," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said this week when asked about Harris' slow start. "But probably, it's just reflective of kind of where we are. It's tough to analyze individual components of something when things unfolded, particularly last Sunday, the way they folded from a collective perspective."
Tomlin was referring to Pittsburgh's 38-3 loss to Buffalo last Sunday, which marked the franchise's most lopsided loss in 33 years. Harris played in less than 50% of the Steelers' offensive snaps in that game, with rookie Jaylen Warren getting slightly more time with the offense. Tomlin said this week that Warren's role in the offense will continue to increase.
"I think he's proven that he's a capable varsity player, and we need players from all parties involved," Tomlin said of Warren. "That has transpired and will continue to transpire."
A healthier Harris is good news for a Steelers offense that has struggled to score points this season. The offense produced just six touchdowns during the season's first five games. The lack of success prompted Tomlin to insert rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett into the starting lineup midway through Pittsburgh's fourth game. Pickett ran for two scores in that game before throwing for 327 yards in last Sunday's loss in Buffalo.
On Sunday, the Steelers' offense will face a Buccaneers defense that is currently sixth in the NFL in points allowed and seventh in passing yards allowed. Tampa Bay's defensive staff includes co-defensive coordinator Larry Foote, who won two Super Bowls as a starting linebacker for the Steelers during the 2000s.
