Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris said a foot injury he sustained in Sunday’s season-opening victory isn’t serious and he intends to play in Week 2 against the New England Patriots.
Speaking with SiriusXM’s Mad Dog Sports Radio, Harris said the injury is “nothing too crazy.”
“I’ll be back at practice this week. And then I will be playing this weekend,” Harris said.
Harris limped off the field late in the fourth quarter of the Steelers’ 23-20 overtime win in Cincinnati.
Harris had 23 rushing yards on 10 carries but also caught two passes, including a 1-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
The 24-year-old Harris was a Pro Bowl selection in 2021 after the Steelers selected him in the first round of the draft from Alabama. He played in all 17 games and ran for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns. He also caught 74 passes for 467 yards and three scores.
In other injury news, the Steelers signed linebacker Ryan Anderson to the practice squad on Tuesday with star T.J. Watt out, NFL Network reported.
According to a report by ESPN, Watt does not need surgery to repair his torn pectoral. He is expected to miss about six weeks with the injury. Watt seeked second opinions on the injury Monday and came to the conclusion of non-surgical rehab.
Watt, the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, tore the pectoral muscle during Sunday’s season-opening win against the Cincinnati Bengals. Coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Watt will miss Week 2 but didn’t commit to a timeline for his return. He implied the injury doesn’t appear to be as serious as the team immediately thought, with the Steelers “probably in a lot better place than we were after the game.”
Last season, Watt tied Michael Strahan (2001) for the most sacks (22.5) in a season since the stat became official in 1982.
Anderson, 28, was a second-round pick out of Alabama in 2017 and played four seasons with Washington (2017-20).
He signed with the New York Giants in March 2021 but was released after being suspended six games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.
Anderson registered 86 tackles, 15 quarterback hits, six sacks and five forced fumbles in 52 games (four starts) with Washington.
–Field Level Media
