Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris said some of the organization’s “in-house rules” need to be changed for the team to improve moving forward.
“We’ve got to be more disciplined. We’ve got to be more committed. I’m not saying that we’re not. But just coming from a place (at Alabama) that has structure and seeing like, we could probably get help in these areas. … I’m not saying nothing about coaches or anything like that. I’m just saying more of just in-house rules. … I’m just a player, but the guys in that building know what I’m talking about,” Harris told reporters after the Steelers’ Wild Card Round loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Harris did not offer specifics into what rules he feels need to be changed. The third-year back has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his NFL seasons but closed with a disappointing 37-yard effort against the Bills. He was a two-time national champion while at Alabama and got a first-hand look at what one of the best-run programs in the country looked like under Nick Saban.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin just finished his 17th season at the helm in Pittsburgh and has just one year remaining on his contract. Tomlin walked out of his postgame press conference when a reporter began asking him about his contract status.
While the 51-year-old coach has never posted a losing season, the Steelers are 0-4 in their last four postseason appearances. Since starting his coaching career 5-1 in the playoffs, Tomlin is 3-9 and has reached the conference championship game just once in 13 seasons.
There’s little question Tomlin has coached up an underwhelming roster in recent years, but comments like the one made from Harris could give credence to a different voice being needed in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have had only three head coaches since the start of the 1969 season, with Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher and Tomlin all building Hall of Fame legacies.
If Tomlin does wind up leaving Pittsburgh, he’ll be the latest in a series of high-profile coaches to move on this offseason. Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll and Mike Vrabel were all let go by their respective organizations this offseason and are expected to receive significant interest in vacancies around the league.
Tomlin would catapult to the top of several lists if he finds himself on the open market.