Pittsburgh Steelers’ plan for Najee Harris won’t help Kenny Pickett, offensive

Keeping the ball out of Najee Harris’ hands is bad news for Kenny Pickett and the entire Pittsburgh Steelers offense.

That Pittsburgh Steelers plan on Limiting touches by Najee Harristhis is bad news for Kenny Pickett and the rest of the offense.

Pittsburgh capitalized on a first-round pick against former Doak Walker champions from Alabama last spring. Harris led the NFL in touches and offensive snaps a season ago, but the Steelers need him as a focal point of their offense now. If they don’t think Mitch Trubisky can bowl pro again, or Pickett is ready to take the weight of the world on his shoulders, then what are they doing?!

Here’s what Harris said on the matter Tuesday before the start of the Steelers minicamp.

“We’re doing that a lot this year (where) I won’t be on the field, I think, (so much),” Harris said Tuesday before day one of Steelers minicamp. “I’ll be on the field a lot — but certain downs I won’t be on the field. Easy (pick my points) I guess. Extra rest.”

While Harris comes across as a team player, he somewhat reluctantly agrees with that assessment.

“I’m taking some time off,” Harris continued. “I will not be on the field for certain games. But we’re still talking about that. I want to play. A lot of. … Whenever I can. But at the same time, it’s about being smart. So I understand where (Steelers offense coaches) come from.

The Steelers have earned the right to a bad year, but they have little margin for error this season.

Pittsburgh Steelers fans won’t like Najee Harris’ attack plan

The Steelers play in what is probably the most competitive league in football. If you need proof of that, look at who won the AFC North a year ago (Cincinnati Bengals) and who finished fourth (Baltimore Ravens). Depending on how Deshaun Watson’s situation plays out with the Cleveland Browns, there’s a chance all four division rivals could be battling for playoff spots this season.

While Trubisky twice helped the Chicago Bears reach the playoffs in his four years with the team, they didn’t have much success there. In short, a team led by its defense didn’t have the horses to win playoff games on offense with Trubisky in the lead. That’s why he’s on his third team in as many years. Pittsburgh’s only hope is for Pickett to become a superstar.

The sooner Pickett can play like he did with Pitt last season, the better off for the Steelers. He might just be a more athletic version of Matt Ryan, but Matty Ice led the Dirty Birds into the postseason in his freshman year with Atlanta. If he’s the guy, we need to know sooner rather than later. Not leaning on Harris, who is very close to his NFL best, is a great way to waste everyone’s time.

Granted, Pittsburgh is a rim playoff team anyway. The Steelers are more likely to finish bottom in the AFC North than win the division this fall. While their defense may be fantastic, the offense won’t score enough points with Trubisky starting games and Harris being limited in the backfield. Yinz need not be afraid! Open it up and let Harris and Pickett blossom together.

By capping Harris’ snaps, the Steelers will only limit their cap as a team this season.