Steelers Insider Details Strange Moment When Najee Harris Allegedly Hit Him With His Shoulder

The Pittsburgh Steelers' decision to draft running back Najee Harris in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft will likely be debated for years to come. Some view Harris' four seasons in Pittsburgh as a disappointment relative to his draft status, while others point to his durability and consistency as reasons his tenure should be viewed more favorably. The reality probably falls somewhere in the middle.

The Steelers' rushing attack, even with Harris and Jaylen Warren sharing the backfield, never consistently reached the level many expected. While Harris often became the face of that frustration, it would be unfair to place all of the blame on his shoulders. After Ben Roethlisberger's retirement, Harris played behind revolving quarterback situations and within offenses that frequently struggled to find an identity, yet he still became the first player in franchise history to begin his career with four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.

By the end of his time in Pittsburgh, however, it was clear that the relationship between Harris and the organization had run its course. The former first-round pick left in free agency following the 2024 season, signing with the Los Angeles Chargers as both sides looked for a fresh start. Since then, Steelers fans have had little reason to revisit Harris' tenure in Pittsburgh.

That changed Tuesday evening when longtime Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo shared a surprising story during an appearance with Mark Kaboly on the Steelers Collective podcast. While recounting interactions with Harris during his time covering the team, Fittipaldo alleged that the former Steelers running back once shoulder-checked him in a moment that caught both reporters off guard.

Kaboly first brought up the incident, saying Harris appeared to throw his shoulder into Fittipaldo. He described the contact as a "big boom," setting the stage for Fittipaldo to explain exactly what happened.

"It was the hardest he put his shoulder down in all his years here," Fittipaldo joked. "It was in the locker room. You know, he wasn't a big fan of doing media scrums, and we were over in the a**hole corner. We were over that way, and for some reason Najee was over there, and he just sort of plowed into me one day."

Kaboly recalled seeing the interaction unfold in real time, noting that while Harris was never obligated to stop and speak with reporters, the moment still caught everyone by surprise. 

According to Kaboly, the collision happened without warning. He also stated that a weird message was being stated right before the alleged shoulder-check took place.

"He's supposed to talk to the media, but he doesn't have to talk to the media," Kaboly said. "I was like, 'What on earth are they talking about?' And then he plowed into Ray."

As wild as the story sounds, what would be even crazier is believing two of the Steelers' most respected insiders simply made it up. That's not how credible journalists operate, and in this case, there's little reason to doubt Fittipaldo and Kaboly's account of what happened.

Steelers Fans Didn't Seem To Know About This Odd Moment From Harris

It's also worth noting that neither reporter presented the incident as some major controversy. Based on the way they described it, it appears to have been a brief, odd moment that never escalated into anything more. 

That likely explains why it wasn't widely reported at the time and has only now surfaced as an amusing story years after Harris' departure from Pittsburgh.

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