Steelers RB Najee Harris 'motivated' to prove haters wrong

The Steelers declined the fifth-year option on running back Najee Harris earlier this month.

It is a move that has since been highly debated since it was worth just $6.79 million for a running back who became the first player in franchise history to rush for 1,000 yards in his first three seasons.

However, Pittsburgh's 2021 first-round pick is fully focused on the 2024 season as he now enters a contract year.

"He's motivated, to say the least," Harris' trainer, Josh Scott, told Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Scott said Harris has become "almost obsessively clean" about his diet and has dropped about seven pounds this offseason as a result. That means Harris, listed at 242 pounds, is now around 235.

That may not seem like a big jump, but it will help Harris, who has been criticized for not having breakaway speed, to become faster.

Those who have criticized Harris' play are likely among those who believe the fourth-year running back's production is more of a product of quantity than quality.

According to ESPN Stats and Info, Harris is the only player in the NFL with at least 250 carries in each of the last three seasons. The 26-year-old has averaged just 3.9 yards per carry over the span.

Harris is ready to prove those haters wrong this year.

"It's all fueling his fire to have an even better season than last year and prove a lot of people wrong," Scott added. "There's a lot of people that hate on him for whatever reason, but he's been as consistent as you can be. He's durable. I think he's going to continue with that. I mean, contract season, that pretty much speaks for itself."

The Steelers may regret their decision after finishing up their offensive line this offseason with first-round offensive tackle Troy Fautanu and second-round center Zach Frazier.

Harris' numbers may not jump off the screen, but he's put them up while running behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league. If he has the dominant season many think he will, it will cost Pittsburgh a lot more in the long run or cause the team to lose him.