Even more music to Baltimore Ravens fans’ ears.
It didn’t take long for Najee Harris to speak his mind after leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former first-round pick spent four seasons in a Steelers offense that constantly struggled to find its footing, and now that he’s with the Los Angeles Chargers, he’s finally saying the quiet part out loud.
In a recent interview with Chris Hayre KCAL9 News, Harris didn’t hold back when talking about Pittsburgh’s offensive dysfunction. He put it bluntly:
"We just didn’t know anything on offense really,” Harris said to Hayre. “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"
That’s an incriminating statement, and while he doesn’t call out Mike Tomlin by name, it’s pretty clear who’s catching strays here. Harris is essentially saying the Steelers failed to put an actual plan in place after Ben Roethlisberger retired, and that falls directly on Tomlin and the front office.
Najee Harris blasts Mike Tomlin, Steelers for no-direction approach
Harris’ comments paint a picture of a team that lacked structure, vision, and most importantly, leadership. While Tomlin has long been considered one of the best motivators in football, the Steelers’ offensive direction over the last few years has been anything but one of the best.
Look at what Harris walked into as a rookie in 2021. Roethlisberger was on his last legs. The offensive line was a disaster after losing key veterans like Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro. And then, once Big Ben retired, the Steelers rolled with a rookie quarterback in Kenny Pickett without giving him a real mentor to learn from.
The Steelers threw Harris into the fire with no stability, no plan, and no veteran presence to guide him. Meanwhile, Tomlin has been sitting back preaching “The Standard is the Standard” while his team hasn’t won a playoff game in nearly a decade (2017).
It’s not just Harris, either. How many times over the last few years have we seen frustration boil over from Steelers players? From George Pickens throwing tantrums on the sideline to Diontae Johnson reportedly fighting teammates in practice, there’s been no shortage of dysfunction.
Harris’ comments just add fuel to the fire. If the Steelers had a clear plan post-Roethlisberger, maybe Harris would still be in Pittsburgh, playing well. Instead, he bolted for a one-year deal with the Chargers and took shots at his former organization at his first chance.
Right now, Tomlin is on the hook for instigating the DK Metcalf trade and extension with no quarterback plan in place. Guy's going off the rails fast.
Tomlin’s seat was already getting cautiously warm after the way last season ended, and Harris’ words won’t help his case. If you thought the pressure was high before, just wait until the Steelers start slow again in 2025.