When it comes to NFL touches, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry operates at different level from the rest of the league.
But another former Alabama running back is establishing himself as one of the league’s workhorses in his rookie season.
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Entering Week 8 of the NFL’s 2021 campaign, Henry has 209 touches – 191 rushing attempts and 18 receptions. Seventy touches behind Henry is the league’s No. 2 in the category – New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara.
They are the only two players with more touches this season than rookie Najee Harris entering Week 8. Harris has 102 rushing attempts for 388 yards and two touchdowns and 34 receptions for 244 yards and two touchdowns in six games for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Am I concerned?” Harris said when asked about his workload. “Nah. I want more. I think every running back should want the ball more if you’re that dog-type of running back.”
Harris is on pace for 385 touches this season. Only five rookies have reached that level, and four of them are members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – Eric Dickerson, Edgerrin James, Curtis Martin and LaDainian Tomlinson. The other player was George Rogers.
Harris will have an extra game than those five had with the NFL’s regular season growing to 17 games in 2021.
“The load that I got and there being 11 more games left --10, whatever -- this is the type of stuff that I would want,” Harris said. “I would want that competition. And mentally, too, to know that you still got to keep going for the team and for Pittsburgh in general. I mean, it’s a good, I guess, road that’s in front of me right now. I love it. I love it, to be honest. I’m always happy.”
Harris got a break last week when the Steelers had their bye week.
“My body’s good,” Harris said. “I take really good care of my body, knock on wood, so I’m not tripping.”
Pittsburgh returns to the field against the Cleveland Browns at noon CDT Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.
The Steelers have a 3-3 record and are in the cellar of the AFC North, with the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals at 5-2 and the Browns at 4-3.
Pittsburgh beat the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks to take a two-game winning streak into its break. The Steelers’ offense had its most productive efforts of 2021, in terms of yardage, in those games.
“I think we’re trending in the right direction,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said. “Based on the conversations that we’ve had in recent weeks, we’re eliminating some negativity in our run game in terms of unblocked people. We’re minimizing some penalties, and that displays better individual collective techniques and awareness. You know, I think we’re finding a fluidity in our division of labor. I think our running back is getting his legs under him in terms of professional football.
“I think it’s trending in the right direction. But, obviously, as we come off the bye and we step into this AFC North stadium, it’s going to be a significant component in terms of writing that story.”
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
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