Last year, the Pittsburgh Steelers seemed to finally shore up their inside linebacker position. They signed Patrick Queen, who gave them a solid first year, and drafted Payton Wilson, who is oozing with potential. The Steelers also had Elandon Roberts, a bruising, physical player, but he’s left them in free agency. They replaced him with former Baltimore Raven Malik Harrison, who has a similar skill set. While it sounds like Harrison still has love for his former team, he is excited to get to actually play against Lamar Jackson.
“Yeah, and going against [him] in practice every day, you can’t do too much,” Harrison said Thursday during his introductory press conference. “You don’t want to mess with church money. Now, me being on the other side, I can really just unleash and dominate how I know I can do.”
Harrison is correct that, in practice, touching the franchise quarterback is off limits. Teams do not want to risk the lifeblood of their organization on a practice. Jackson is one of the best players in the NFL, so the Ravens almost definitely protect him whenever they can. Although Harrison should be careful what he wishes for. Tackling Jackson is easier said than done.
Harrison doesn’t seem to have any ill will toward Jackson, but for a defensive player, it had to be frustrating having to hold back against him. Now, he can give his all against Jackson, even though they’re still friends.
“[Jackson], he surprised me every day. He does things that you don’t think that a person can do,” Harrison said. “Great guy, been my guy since Day 1. He knew my name when I first came in. I’m like, ‘How you know me?'”
That’s all very similar to how Patrick Queen described Jackson. He didn’t have anything bad to say about the two-time NFL MVP, only that he was excited to get to tackle him. It seems like there’s a pattern with Ravens linebackers joining the Steelers. Jackson often looks like a video game character running around on the field, so getting the chance to play against him has to fuel their competitive spirit.
Harrison should get plenty of chances to show Jackson what he’s made of, too. The Ravens are the Steelers’ biggest rival, and they even met in a playoff game last year. No matter how each team looks, it feels like they’re always battling for the AFC North crown. If Harrison can show up big against his former team, like Queen, he should be able to help them slay their greatest foe.
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