There are divisional games, and then there are AFC North divisional games. From the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers playing an instant classic prime-time game in the snow to the Cincinnati Bengals keeping their playoff hopes alive in Western Pennsylvania, the rivalries have lived up to the hype.
On Saturday, that intensity will hit the national stage when the Steelers visit the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card Round.
With no shortage of stakes or star power, Saturday’s clash has the potential to etch itself into the esteemed history of the AFC North.
But for Steelers running back Najee Harris, the Wild Card Round is more than just a chance at a deep playoff run. It’s a chance to push off his potential departure from Pittsburgh.
Harris is in a contract year after the Steelers rejected his fifth-year option, and while the team is open to bringing him back, the open market will likely provide Harris with a more lucrative offer. Harris reckoned with that possibility ahead of Saturday’s playoff game.
“Compartmentalizing is not hard, but realizing the situation what it is, you realize what it is,” Harris said, via Aaron Becker. “Just go back in the offseason, wherever it is, whatever happens after this season. See what you can work on. See what happens next.”
The Steelers’ next game could very well be Harris’ last before, and a 10-point spread in Baltimore’s favor doesn’t bode well for their chances at a deep playoff run.
Harris, a 2021 first-round pick, has become a staple of recent Pittsburgh offenses, rushing for 1,000 yards in every year of his career. That’s mitigated by the extra game on the schedule and over 1,000 attempts to his name, but he’s the only player in the sport to hit that mark in each of the last four seasons.
It’s possible greener pastures are waiting for him in free agency. Whether that’s a team with more realistic Super Bowl aspirations, a better coordinator, or less competition in the backfield is yet to be seen, but his ability to be a workhorse holds value, even with some big-play potential left on the table.
Harris seems content with his effort through the ups and downs in Pittsburgh, even if the work isn’t done just yet.
“This is a production business,” he continued. “I’m put in situations where you just got to make the best of your opportunity. If you say you did the best you can, that’s all you can do. Would you want to change stuff? Yeah. Would you want to do better at things? Yeah, but sometimes people face certain situations. You just got to make the best of it, and that’s really it.”
Harris has done a nice job of setting himself up for a second contract, wherever it may be. A year after running backs exceeded expectations in free agency and on the field the ensuing season, Harris logged 1,043 yards and six scores, with another 283 yards through the air.
He’s versatile, durable, and a key piece of the Steelers’ plan to beat the Ravens. His ability to make good on that could decide how much longer he has in Western Pennsylvania.
