Steelers Now
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin revealed on Friday that he reached out to former Steelers running back and current Los Angeles Charger Najee Harris after he suffered a season-ending Achilles tear on Sunday.
“We’ve certainly been in contact, but I’ll leave that communication between us,” Tomlin said during a press conference in Ireland ahead of Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Harris collapsed to the turf before taking the hand off from quarterback Justin Herbert in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos. Head coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed after the game that Harris ruptured his Achilles tendon.
It’s been a rough year for Harris. He suffered an eye injury in a firework explosion on the Fourth of July. He missed all of training camp and the preseason but he was active for Week 1.
Harris did not want to get into any details on what happened in the fireworks accident. He said his vision has not been affected and called the eye injury “superficial.”
Harris’ agent, Doug Hendrickson, said in July that he expects his client to be ready for the start of the season.
“Najee Harris was present at a 4th of July event where a fireworks mishap resulted in injuries to several attendees. Najee sustained a superficial eye injury during the incident, but is fully expected to be ready for the upcoming NFL season,” Hendrickson stated.
The NFL has encountered similar situations involving fireworks in the past. Most notably, when Jason Pierre-Paul lost multiple fingers on his hand in 2015. The injury didn’t end his career as he played until 2023.
In three games with the Chargers, Harris recorded 37 yards on nine carries.
The Steelers selected Harris with their first-round pick (No. 24 overall) in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Alabama. He was a steady and strong contributor, rushing for at least 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons, but his career overall underwhelmed compared to his draft position.
The Steelers play the Chargers on Sunday Night Football at SoFi Stadium on Nov. 9. Tomlin and Harris will probably reunite before the game and exchange pleasantries.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Mike Tomlin Reached Out to Najee Harris after Devastating Injury
