Najee Harris says he’s 100% healthy as season opens, appreciates Steelers captaincy

Two days before the regular-season opener, Najee Harris declared his left foot completely healed from the Lisfranc injury suffered early on during training camp.

“It’s been six or seven weeks,” the Pittsburgh Steelers’ workhorse running back said Friday, “so I am on track with everything. It’s all good.”

Harris, who played in the Steelers’ Aug. 28 preseason finale, will start his second NFL season in Sunday’s 1 p.m. game at the Cincinnati Bengals. The occasion also will debut another chapter in Harris’ football life.

His first game as an NFL team co-captain.

Harris was elected one of two captains on offense by teammates. The Steelers announced their captains earlier this week.

“Obviously, I am honored,” Harris said. “It’s an honor to be (voted) a captain in my second year.

“These guys here, the coaches, the staff, everybody here, they taught me more about becoming more of a man and how to carry myself in the short time I have been here. I really appreciate all the help they have (provided).”

Najee Harris on being named a Steelers captain pic.twitter.com/DQmQpWiXg7

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) September 9, 2022

Harris said he did not feel he was prepared to handle a captaincy — regardless of level — earlier in his life. When told of the news he would be serving in that role for the Steelers, Harris said he approached Mike Tomlin for advice in what that signified.

“He said, ‘Just be yourself,’ ” Harris said. “ ‘Man, just be yourself because right now being yourself is good enough, and along the way all the other stuff will come with it. But as of now just be yourself.’ ”

Harris led the NFL in touches last season and had 1,667 yards from scrimmage. The year before, he was the Doak Walker Award winner as college football’s best running back in helping lift Alabama to the national championship.

The Steelers offense, over the past two offseasons, has lost at least six longtime starters who have retired (Ben Roethlisberger, Maurkice Pouncey, Vance McDonald and David DeCastro, who was released before he retired) or moved on in free agency (Alejandro Villanueva, JuJu Smith-Schuster).

That left a vacuum of obvious leadership. While Harris has only 17 games of NFL experience, the only players on offense who have made more starts for the Steelers are Chase Claypool (19), Diontae Johnson (39) and Chuks Okorafor (35).

That made the affable Harris a viable pick to join new starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky as co-captains of the offense.

“I’m ready to take on that responsibility,” Harris said, vowing to set small positive examples such as showing up to meetings early. “Just being there earlier, always carrying a notepad, always be writing stuff down. … I’m up for the challenge this year doing that type of stuff. I took that into consideration and ran with it.”

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