It is never a bad thing thing to be in the company of Alvin Kamara, the Saints‘ perennial All-Pro running back. That’s what happened to Steelers rookie running back Najee Harris, who on Sunday did something that hasn’t been done since Kamara’s breakout rookie campaign.
After running for 123 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries in Pittsburgh’s 27-19 win over the Broncos on Sunday, Harris became the first rookie running back to tally 100-yard rushing and receiving games since Kamara accomplished that feat in 2017, per Michael Bertsch of the Steelers public relations. Harris caught 14 passes (a franchise-rookie running back record) for 102 yards in Pittsburgh’s Week 3 loss to the Bengals.
Kamara hit the 100-yard running and receiving barriers one time during is rookie season. His first 100-yard game came in a 47-10 win over the Bills in Week 9, when he rumbled for 106 yards and a touchdown on just 12 carries. Two weeks later, Kamara caught six passes for 101 yards and a touchdown in the Saints’ 26-20 loss to the Rams. Kamara also scored on a 74-yard run.
Kamara finished his rookie season with 728 yards and eight touchdowns (on just 120 carries) and 826 yards and five touchdowns on 81 receptions. A Pro Bowler each of his first four seasons, Kamara is the only running back in league history to catch at least 80 passes in each of his first four campaigns.
Harris leads all rookie running backs with 307 rushing yards through four games. He is second on the Steelers in receptions (28) and third in yards (198). On Sunday, Harris helped the Steelers snap their 16-game skid of not rushing for 100 yards as a team. Along with is play on the field, Harris has further endeared himself to Steelers fans with his recent comments about Jerome Bettis, who famously hung up his cleats after helping Pittsburgh capture its fifth Lombardi Trophy.
“I watched him whenever he played when I was young,” Harris said of Bettis, a 2015 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. “I like Jerome, I’ve talked to Jerome a lot of times. He’s a good dude. Just as a person, I like him.
“I actually reached out to him. Whenever he comes back down here, we’re going to watch film together just so he can give me some keys of what to do better. That’s really what I’m most excited about right there.”
