The Los Angeles Chargers are going to look a lot different when the 2025 NFL season kicks off this fall. LA has already added a number of playmakers on both sides of the ball, including RB Najee Harris. They will add even more talent in the 2025 NFL Draft, where they Chargers hold the 22nd overall pick.
Harris did not leave Pittsburgh on good terms. He explained some of his frustration with the Steelers in a recent interview with KCAL's Chris Hayre.
“It was just a team where we lost Ben, we lost the O-line, we just didn't know anything on offense really, we didn't have any identity,” Harris said via NFL.com's Kevin Patra. “We had a young guy coming in at QB. I was young. The team was young. I really didn't have nobody to almost learn from on the offensive side. I think the veteran guy on that team was a two, three-year vet. And he's still learning himself.”
Harris suggests the Steelers lost their way after losing QB Ben Roethlisberger to retirement. Harris also admitted that he ended up seeking the council of some of Pittsburgh's defensive veterans.
“I'm coming in and I'm just trying to look for people to pick their brain and it was just defensive guys,” Harris continued. “So I'd go to the defensive guys and talk to them, but there wouldn't be too much they could tell me about offensive things. So, through my years, I've learned a lot that only I learned first-hand. And I feel like [in L.A.], like we've got a lot of veterans that I can learn even more stuff from, even at the quarterback position, and the O-line position. So it was an interesting year there, I'll just say that. Interesting year.”
Harris is not the only former Steelers player to question the organization's culture after losing Roethlisberger.
Najee Harris should fit in nicely with the Chargers
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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) rushes during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
Things may have ended poorly for Harris in Pittsburgh, but he has a bright future in Los Angeles.
Harris is the perfect type of running back for Jim Harbaugh's offensive system. The Chargers love to punish opposing defenses with the running game, and Harris has the ideal build as a battering ram.
Harris is a reliable runner who will raise the floor of LA's offense. He logged at least 250 attempts, 1,000 rushing yards, and six rushing touchdowns in each of his four seasons in Pittsburgh.
Harris does not have the game-breaking speed that other top NFL running backs have. However, he is more than capable of moving the chains and setting up play action passes for Justin Herbert.
It will be interesting to see if the Chargers target a running mate for Harris in the 2025 NFL Draft.