Najee Harris produced his third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season, making him the only running back in the NFL to hit that number in each of the past three seasons. He and Cincinnati’s Joe Mixon are the only running backs to produce 1,200 yards from scrimmage in each of the past three seasons.
Jaylen Warren emerged, as well, and provided the team with a great one-two punch, rushing for 784 yards.
Together, they produced 1,819 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, and 90 receptions for another 540 yards.
Harris finished the season having played 569 offensive snaps, while Warren was right behind at 519. Anthony McFarland, who finished the season on the practice squad, played six snaps, while Qadree Ollison played one before being released. Godwin Igwebuike didn’t see a single offensive snap, but played 117 on special teams.
Harris produced 24 runs of at least 10 yards and eight runs of 20 or more yards, which ranked 10th and fourth in the NFL, respectively.
Harris is never going to be a game-breaking back, but his hard-nosed running style sets a tone. He also gets better over the course of the season.
Of Harris’ six 100-yard rushing games, four have come in December and January, including two in 2023. He also has never missed a game in his three-year career.
How Harris went in 2023 also largely determined how the Steelers performed. In the Steelers’ wins, Harris averaged 4.3 yards per carry and scored all eight of his touchdowns. In their losses, he averaged 3.5 yards and failed to score.
With Warren taking over completely as the third-down back, Harris saw his receptions fall to 29, the lowest of his career.
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