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Mike Tomlin's Honest Thoughts on Steelers' Najee Harris Revealed

The Pittsburgh Steelers hope to see a change in approach from their running back.

Jack Markowski

Sep 22, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) jumps over Los Angeles Chargers safety Alohi Gilman (32) during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
Sep 22, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) jumps over Los Angeles Chargers safety Alohi Gilman (32) during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
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After a rough performance in Week 4, the Pittsburgh Steelers want to see running back Najee Harris take a more measured approach with his carries.

In an appearance on Fox Sports 1's "Breakfast Ball" on Thursday, former NFL offensive lineman and current broadcaster Mark Schlereth shared a conversation he had with Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin, who stated that Harris always aims to break off big runs when he should really be more focused on gaining consistent yardage from down to down.

"When I was talking to Coach Tomlin, he always talked about Najee having to understand that every meal's not a banquet," Schlereth said. "Sometimes, you just gotta take that four-yard gain. So, you can't break every run, and often times he puts himself in harm's way because you're trying to make a big play on every single rush."

Harris is coming off one of the least efficient games in his career against the Indianapolis Colts, as he recorded just 19 yards on 13 carries while the Steelers lost for the first time all season.

The fruitlessness of his attempts doesn't all fall on Harris' shoulders, though, and he more than held up his end of the bargain in the receiving game by posting 54 yards, his most in a contest since Sept. 26, 2021.

Pittsburgh's apparent frustrations with him date well past the last few weeks, however, as he's currently looking to play a style of football that isn't conducive to his skill set or overall strengths as a runner.

Among the running backs who fall inside the top-20 for carries so far this year, Harris averages the second-fewest amount of yards per attempt (3.4). Within that same group of players, his longest run of the year (21 yards) is tied for the fifth-lowest figure.

Furthermore, the lengthiest attempt of Harris' NFL career totaled 37 yards, which came during his rookie campaign in 2021.

His continual pursuit of explosive plays has hurt his production and effectiveness in recent years, and the Steelers are hopeful that scaling back his sights could help him mightily improve.

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Jack Markowski
JACK MARKOWSKI

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