Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris has not looked like himself, lacking the burst he flashed as a rookie last year.
Harris told reporters Friday he’s not trying to make excuses, but he revealed he’s been playing with a steel plate in his shoe.
“I got put a steel plate in my shoe, so that kind of prohibits me from doing certain things,” Harris said after practice Friday (via triblive.com). “But I just took (the plate) out… two days ago. So (the foot) has gotten a lot better is what I am trying to say.”
Harris injured his left foot in training camp Aug. 1, and missed three weeks of practice.
“Yes, I did miss a long training period, I was out just recovering, so obviously with a lot of new guys in the o-line, I hadn’t gotten time to work with them yet. So yeah that is a reason (for early-season struggles). But I am not going to blame it all on that. Accountability is something I like to take seriously … (Injuries are) part of the sport.”
Najee Harris confirms that he did have a steel plate in his shoe to help with the foot injury he suffered in training camp. Says he just took the plate out this week. pic.twitter.com/C1CNWXDl1g
— DK Pittsburgh Sports (@DKPghSports) October 14, 2022
The Steelers running back has posted some troubling stats, leading head coach Mike Tomlin to address the issue earlier this week. Harris is averaging only 3.2 yards per carry, ranking 46th out of 48 rushers with at least 35 carries. He has 286 total yards, after posting 1,667 yards last season on his way to the Pro Bowl.
