The Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback room has been a main talking point throughout the entire 2024 offseason through the start of the regular season. Russell Wilson was named the starter about a week and a half before the season opener, but Justin Fields wound up starting due to Wilson's nagging calf injury. Fields managed to get the Week 1 victory against the Atlanta Falcons, and now will likely start again in Pittsburgh's Week 2 matchup against the Denver Broncos.
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Steelers' Justin Fields looks to pass in Pittsburgh's Week 1 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in 2024.
It is a little bit up in the air who will be starting in Week 2, but Head Coach Mike Tomlin told the media on Tuesday that the team is preparing as if Fields will be the starting quarterback. Najee Harris was asked about the quarterback situation after practice on Thursday, where he seemed agitated with the media. He consistently stated that it didn't matter who started, the team was still preparing to play the Broncos regardless.
"No matter what, we are going to play on Sunday against the Denver Broncos. No matter what. So, the whole part of the week is to get ready to play the Denver Broncos. So coaches and everybody can worry about this other stuff, but us as a team, us as captains of this team, we got to get the guys ready to play against the Denver Broncos. We're not worried about who is at quarterback. Obviously we need one, but we're not spending our week worrying about who is going to be our quarterback."
Harris has an interesting history with the local media in Pittsburgh. He has declined media appearances, and whenever he does speak to the press, he seems fed up. The running back has an extra chip on his shoulder for the 2024 season, as the organization declined his fifth-year option during the offseason. This makes Harris a free agent following the season, which makes his performance in 2024 crucial if he wants to earn a big contract.
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Steelers' Najee Harris getting warmed up before Week 1 against the Falcons.
Another interesting part of Harris' response was that he considers himself a captain and some sort of a leader to the team. He was named a captain ahead of the 2022 season, but was never given the honor again. He wasn't voted a captain again ahead of the 2024 season, but he still considers himself one. Harris spoke more about the quarterback situation.
"We're worried about how we're going to execute the run, how we're going to execute the pass, how we're going to execute the play-action. Then, whoever is at quarterback, that's who we're rolling with. Same thing as if a guy goes down, it's a next man up mentality."
The quarterback situation seems to be all the way in the back of Harris' mind. He is more worried about how he is going to do his job, which is a good thing. He seemed to be running with some extra anger and tenacity in Atlanta, and fans should expect more of that in Denver.
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Steelers' RB Najee Harris starting the season off strong against the Falcons in 2024.
Steelers' Najee Harris Carrying The Majority Of The Workload In The Backfield
The current state of the Steelers' running back position is interesting. Typically the split between Harris and Jaylen Warren is near even, but that wasn't the case in Week 1. This is likely because Warren is recovering from a hamstring injury he suffered during the preseason, and the team wants to get him back to full health before pushing him to his fullest.
Cordarrelle Patterson was also involved in the running game, as he carried the ball four times for 13 yards. Harris was definitely the featured back in Week 1, as he carried the ball 20 times for 70 yards. He will be a huge feature of the offense in Week 2, as he continues to attempt to earn a new deal against the Denver defense.
What do you think about Harris' comments? Let us know in the comments below!
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