When the talking heads gather on the national gameday shows and NFL podcast across the land to pontificate the leagues most dominate backs. Familiar names are heralded as rushing super powers. Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley enviably take up the most airtime and rightfully so. However do you know what all these amazing Backs have in common?
They all have a season in the last 4 years that trail Najee Harris. That’s right since 2021 NOT ONE NFL back has out rushed Najee Harris in all four seasons. Yes, many backs suffered injury prone seasons over that period but not Harris. Which is why he holds this unique ability to not have had a season with the rushing crown and yet out gained every back in at least one season since he entered the league.
one component of a great back is durability. Can this guy show up game after game, season after season and carry the ball consistently. Yes he can! As a ravens fan I’ve seen him close out close games for the Steelers several times. when the clock is winding down he seems to get stronger.
His rookie season was his best where he was fourth in the NFL with 1200 yards. He has broken the 1000 yard mark in every one of the following three season. No, the numbers don’t jump off the stat sheet like Derrick’s 2024 season where King Henry Rushed for a whopping 2005 yards. Yet people forget his rookie season was the last year Big Ben Roethlisberger played for the Steelers.
The last three seasons Pittsburgh’s quarter backs have not stretched the defense very much at all. With Kenny Pickett and perhaps the last starting season of Russel Wilson’s career. QBs that many good defenses don’t have to respect too much. Meaning opponents can stack the box and play the run effectively. Tilting the tables against Harris’s production. That also doesn’t take into consideration that the offensive line he rushed behind last season was ranked 20th overall. It doesn’t take a math wiz to figure with a different setup he could have easily produced even better numbers each of the last 3 seasons.
In steps the 2025 Los Angeles Chargers led by quarter back Justin Herbert and coached by the illustrious Jim Harbaugh. Herbert passed for 3870 yards about 1400 more than the Steelers Russel Wilson. Talk about stretching the defense and making some room in the secondary for Harris to work. A task Najee will be able to do more often this year as PFF has the Chargers offensive line ranked at 12th in the NFL for the 2025 season.
That’s not all. There is a stark contrast between the smash mouth offense Mike Tomlin runs in Pittsburgh and the high flying west coast stretch offense Harbaugh implements. Harris played very well in college in the west coast offense. He also has pretty good hands, which will give him more opportunities to get yards rushing off the edge and screen yards.
That bring me to my prediction Najee will have a career year on a healthy chargers team. He will eclipse 1600 total yards this year while rushing for somewhere in the neighborhood of 1350 yards! So do yourself a favor and put some respect on Najee Harris Name!
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