Steelers' Missing Piece On Offense Is Clear: "You Knew He Was RB1"

The Pittsburgh Steelers had one of their busiest offseasons in recent memory in 2025. With big-name free agency signings, blockbuster trades, and another impressive draft class, there was a lot of positivity and optimism with the new-look roster heading into the regular season. However, despite the big additions, the Steelers also had some key departures, most notably letting go running back Najee Harris. The Steelers' rushing attack has been subpar so far in the 2025 season, and one former Steelers defender says the team is still trying to replace the now Los Angeles Chargers tailback. 

Former Super Bowl winning defensive back with the Steelers, Bryant McFadden recently made an appearance on The PM Team w/Poni & Mueller on 97.3 The Fan, and McFadden claimed the the Steelers miss Harris' production.

"There is no identity I think with the offense in terms of the running game," said McFadden. "I don't think we've replaced not having Najee."

The Steelers drafted Harris out of Alabama with the 24th pick overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Harris was one of the most explosive players at his position coming out of college, and the Steelers saw glimpses of that during his tenure in the Steel City, but many Steelers fans will argue that Harris never lived up to the hype of a first-round pick. 

Despite contradicting opinions on Harris' performance, it's hard to argue against his statistics. Harris rushed for over 1,000 yards in all four seasons in Pittsburgh. Although Harris wasn't the fastest player on the field, his hard-nosed running style gave the Steelers an identity and consistency on offense, something that the rushing attack hasn't shown yet this year.

"You can say whatever you want to say about Najee Harris in a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform, you knew he was RB1 and you knew he would get some type of production."

Even with Harris leaving in free agency, many fans felt confident that the Steelers would still be able to run the ball effectively with the return of Jaylen Warren, the signing of Kenneth Gainwell, and the drafting of Kaleb Johnson out of Iowa, but that hasn't been the case quite yet. Warren, Gainwell, and Johnson all have the acceleration and explosiveness that Harris lacked, but McFadden says Harris' production was key, despite not being flashy.

"The thing about Najee Harris' production, it wasn't flashy," said McFadden. "Every year that Najee was apart of our offense, he had over 1,000 yards, and then most people are like, 'Dang, how did that even happen,' because he was productive, but it wasn't flashy."

The Steelers are averaging only 63 rush yards per game through the first three weeks of the season, which ranks 29th in the league. It is still early in the year, but there is no doubt that Pittsburgh needs to improve the run game if they want to be successful in 2025.

Steelers Need To Be Patient With Run Game And Rely On One Guy, Says McFadden

2025 is Warren's first year being RB1 for the Steelers, and after a quiet performance in Week 1, he has seen an increase in carries over the last two weeks. McFadden says the biggest key for the Steelers' rushing attack is to find that number one guy and lean on him.

"I think we just got to be patient with the running game, and just find a guy to rely on," said McFadden.

Warren carried the ball 18 times against the New England Patriots last week, which was a single-game career-high. If the Steelers want to find the same rushing production that they had with Harris, continuing to feed Warren is a step in the right direction. Warren has shown his potential, and if the Steelers can give him the opportunity to tap that potential, the Steelers' offense will improve. 

Do you think the Steelers miss Najee Harris? Or do you think Warren, Gainwell, and Johnson will eventually get the ball rolling? Let us know in the comments!

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