The Pittsburgh Steelers struggled through most of the 2023 season with an often-injured, expensive defense and an offense that, for most of the year, was led by Matt Canada. Considering that Mike Tomlin navigated that squad and those circumstances to a Wild Card Game against the Buffalo Bills is a testament to his coaching abilities, but it also speaks to the expectations for 2024. The Steelers feel like they have upgraded their roster with several excellent, needed moves to bring in talent. However, not everyone believes that the Steelers should be seen as an improved team ahead of the 2024 season.
Despite the additions of Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Patrick Queen, among others, which addressed several needs on the roster, Nick Wright has the Steelers among the worst offensive teams in the league. Wright was on FOX Sports’ First Thing’s First Thursday and was quite candid when speaking about the kind of weapons that Pittsburgh will be fielding during their 2024 campaign.
“The Steelers do not have good weapons…So, to be clear, I think Najee [Harris] is below average – flatly. I think Jaylen Warren — every team’s got a Jaylen Warren; a guy who, if you get six carries a game, looks dynamic. If you, in today’s NFL, don’t have a Jaylen Warren, what are you doing? And, I’m being serious, their wide receivers — they have one guy that is talented and a total malcontent. Quits on plays, then you show him the film, he’s like, ‘D*** straight. I’m not trying to get hit. It’s football; I could get hurt doing that.’… In that division, Drew, do they have the worst weapons? By far, obviously… By far, the worst.”
While the incident where George Pickens avoided contact rather than blocking certainly rubbed many people the wrong way, it hardly labels him as divisive as Wright makes him out to be. The Steelers’ offensive approach was hardly what anyone would call creative during most of the season, but that can’t be put at the feet of the players. A historic mid-season switch at offensive coordinator has to be taken into account when viewing Pittsburgh’s 2023 season.
Pittsburgh showed how serious they were about their quarterback position by not only bringing in talent in Wilson and Fields, but also shipping out Kenny Pickett despite the first-round investment. Considering that Pickett managed a paltry 13 touchdowns in his two seasons as the quarterback for the Steelers, it’s hard to see the new quarterback room as anything but a complete upgrade. The high-value return for a low cost makes both of Pittsburgh’s quarterbacks the perfect response to the disappointing 2022 and 2023 seasons.’
You don't want to be on the receiving end of a Najee Harris stiff arm 💪 @ohthatsNajee22 pic.twitter.com/QTiGpcQbb6
— NFL (@NFL) January 3, 2024
Najee Harris has surpassed 1,000 rushing yards every single season he has been in the league despite a lack of creative play-calling, a retooling of the offensive line, and no consistency at the quarterback position. The 2021 first-round pick grew into a much more vocal leader during the 2023 season. If Wright can watch the growth of Harris and still believe he is at the bottom of the pack, then it ends up saying more about Wright than any of the weapons in Pittsburgh.
Steelers Bring A Two-Headed Beast Into 2024
Wright may not see the tandem of Harris and Jaylen Warren as concerning for opposing defenses, but their production down the stretch in 2023 speaks for itself. During the upheaval following Canada’s firing, the rushing attack was the foundation for Pittsburgh’s run to their 2023 Wild Card game. Harris, with his first-round pedigree, was expected to produce, but Warren earned his way despite starting out as an undrafted free agent following the 2022 NFL Draft.
Harris and Warren combined for 1,819 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns during the 2023 season. Considering the circumstances under which that production occurred, there are high hopes for the duo in 2024. With a new quarterback room that will be sorting itself out, having a reliable, consistent rushing attack will be invaluable to the team. Harris and Warren are more than up to the task, and the more successful the Steelers’ running game is, the further the team will go as a whole.
