A former Pittsburgh Steelers starter had a brutal assessment of the team’s offense over the past three seasons.
Former Steelers running back Najee Harris was highly critical of the team’s offensive scheme dating back to the end of the 2021 season, when former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger retired. Harris indicated that the Steelers suffered from a lack of leadership and identity after Roethlisberger’s departure.
“We lost Ben, we lost a lot of O-line. We just didn’t know anything on offense,” Harris told KCAL News in a new interview. “We didn’t have an identity. We had a young guy coming in at quarterback. I was young, the team was young. I really didn’t have anybody to learn from on the offensive side. I think the veteran guy on that team was a two- or three-year vet. He’s still learning himself.
“I’m coming in and I’m just trying to look for people to pick their brain, and it was just defensive guys. I’ll go to the defensive guys and talk to them, but there wouldn’t be too much they could tell me about offensive things.”
Najee Harris on the Steelers offense:
— Matthew Luciow (@matthewluciow92) March 20, 2025
"We just didn't know anything on offense really. We didn't have any identity. We had a young guy coming in at QB. I really didn't have nobody to almost learn from on the offensive side."#steelers
🎥YT/ kcal News pic.twitter.com/DCqN6fQ33S
Harris added that one of the reasons he was enthusiastic about joining the Los Angeles Chargers is that the team has good veteran leaders he can learn from.
Interestingly, Harris’ stats back up his comments in some ways. He posted 1,200 rushing yards as a rookie in 2021 with Roethlisberger at quarterback, but has not reached those heights since. He still managed back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2022 and 2023 with Kenny Pickett serving as the primary quarterback, and posted similar numbers in 2024 with Justin Fields and Russell Wilson running things.
It should also be noted that Harris increasingly shared time with Jaylen Warren during that three-year stretch, which had some impact on Harris’ numbers.
Still, Harris’ comments are pretty telling. The running back had previously vented some frustrations while still with the team, and suggested that everyone knew what the issues were but that they were not being fixed. Bringing in an established veteran quarterback like Wilson might have been the sort of thing Harris was looking for, but it did not make Pittsburgh’s offense that much better in 2024.
Pittsburgh’s offense began to regress in Roethlisberger’s final season, finishing 21st in points. They dropped to 26th and 28th in that category in 2022 and 2023, respectively, driving home Harris’ point.
The Steelers may have received the message this offseason, as they went out and got a major weapon to benefit the offense. They are still in need of a quarterback, however, though they seem determined to get a veteran to start for them in 2025.
