Steelers' Najee Harris could equal an NFL record against Bears and better his odds of winning NFL OROY
Najee Harris was drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft to help ease the pressure on Ben Roethlisberger's shoulders as he looks for one last Super Bowl appearance with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While Harris hasn't been producing like he did during his collegiate career in Alabama, he's been a major figure in the Steelers' offense, and it's starting to show with his number of carries trending up in the last few weeks.
Depending on his performance against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football, the Steelers' running back will be now on track to join an elite class of NFL running backs,
This week on @ESPNNFL #MNF Najee Harris (@ohthatsNajee22) of the @Steelers can join elite company among 4 of the best rookie RBs in #NFL history, all of whom earned @AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. https://t.co/TC6WmvLbKd
Najee Harris could equal NFL record against Bears
Being a great player since your rookie year is an incredibly difficult task to achieve in the NFL, and only the elite can do that. Harris is close to doing so.
The Steelers running back is entering Week 9 with a streak of three consecutive games with, at least, 115 scrimmage yards and a touchdown.
- Week 6, vs Denver Broncos: 142 scrimmage yards (122 rushing, 20 receiving), rushing TD
- Week 7, vs Seattle Seahawks: 127 scrimmage yards (81 rushing, 46 receiving), receiving TD
- Week 8, vs Cleveland Browns: 120 scrimmage yards (91 rushing, 29 receiving), rushing TD
If he gets these numbers against the Bears, he would be only the fifth running back to ever do it four times in a row, the first since Alvin Kamara in 2017.
- Franco Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers, 1972: 6 games
- Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints, 2017: 5 games
- Eric Dickerson, Los Angeles Rams, 1983: 4 games
- Curtis Martin, New England Patriots, 1995: 4 games
Why is this a great mark for Harris to reach? All four players above were elected NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year at the end of their first campaigns. Harris, Dickerson and Martin are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, while Kamara remains a fantastic player for the Saints who's on track to do so as well.
What are Najee Harris' odds to win OROY?
As of today, Harris has the third-biggest odds (+800) to win the award. He's behind Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (-138) and New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones (+275).
Steelers RB Najee Harris named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month.
October stats: 4 TDs, 356 yards rushing, 124 yards receiving, 120 average scrimmage yards/game
For the season, Harris has 479 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. He also has 273 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. Those are great numbers for a rookie, and even though the Steelers' offense isn't one of the best in the league, certainly it's not Harris' fault.