2026 stillers

that goes for any qb. None work well under constant pressure.

 

The change in scheme can really help him. Streamlining the responsibilities of the ILB will also make them play faster. Now, if they can get the defensive lineman to keep them a bit cleaner, a guy like Wilson has the speed to run sideline to sideline and make plays.

I think this will be part of what Graham is going to try to do.

 

If I wanted to be wrong, yes, it would be easy to say they chose the guy they thought was the better back. That they never started Warren and consistently gave Harris more snaps and touches tells a different story.

The choice that made sense at the time was to keep both. They clearly see what I see in Warren, an excellent back, but one who needs someone to split the workload for him. No matter how well he was playing, they continued to limit his touches in 2025. Warren still hasn't carried the ball 20 times in a game in his career. Not once. I think they looked at Harris's attitude about money and the heavy workload he had already carried in his first three seasons, and those are why they passed on the fifth-year option.

Letting him leave meant they pretty much had to draft a back early, which was compounded by Johnson being a bust so far. Luckily for them, Gainwell had a career year, and then they were able to upgrade for 2026 with Dowdle. He is the kind of back who should pair well with Warren.

 

Man, this is really funny, but not in the way you think. Unless you meant to point out who it was that actually brought up Harris on this thread. Here is a hint. It wasn't me.

If you want to engage, engage. Doing this adds nothing to the conversation.

 

You know the Steelers started Harris every game he was a Steeler. You know they continued to give him more snaps and more touches than Warren. You know they were trying to win those games. Yet you cling to the notion that they thought Warren was the better option during those seasons.

I'm not the one sticking to a poor argument because he is too invested. I'm the one who is right.

The Steelers thought Harris was the better back, by a small margin, but also saw him pushing for more money and that he had a lot more wear and tear on his body than Warren. They moved on, and thanks to Gainwell's career year, it didn't hurt them. That was the only thing I got wrong in all of this. I didn't think Gainwell could do what he did in 2025. That isn't the first time I've admitted as much. Unlike so many others, I'll admit to the part I got wrong.

 

Who started every game when they had both backs? Who got more snaps? Who got more touches? Those are the facts that are on my side.

I explained why they would move on many times over. It wasn't about who was the better back in 2023 and 2024. It was about the wear and tear on Harris's body, a concern given the short shelf life of running backs. It was about his focus on wanting to get paid. We went over this before. You dismissed concerns about wear and tear right up to the moment that Harris blew out his Achilles. Then you wanted to talk about wear and tear. We each shared opposing opinions from experts we spoke with. You insist it was a time bomb waiting to happen. The expert I spoke to said it was just as likely a fluke. Now the wear and tear thing has been abandoned again.

Warren cut into Harris's workload in year two because he is a hell of a back, but the Steelers still used Harris like the lead back, more so than they did with Warren last year.

There are no mental gymnastics needed. During his entire four years as a Steeler, the team thought he was their best back, and distributed the playing time and touches accordingly. When the time came to decide on the option, they realized they would have him for no more than that fifth year. He would either break down or demand big money after that. He might even cause trouble if they kept him on the option. They also knew running backs don't last long and he had a lot of wear on the treads already, so they continued to treat him like the better back in 2024, but moved on after that.

 

Bump

 

Are you arguing that they started Harris, gave him more snaps, and gave him the ball more while thinking he was the lesser back simply because he had been drafted in the first round four years earlier by the previous general manager? In other words, are you saying they put his draft status ahead of doing what would have given them the best opportunity to win?

If I'm misrepresenting your opinion, please correct me, but that sounds like some serious mental gymnastics by someone who is too deeply invested in his argument to turn back.

Do you even remember how much I criticized the idea of Gainwell being anything more than a third-stringer? The guy averaged only 3.9 yards per carry as the backup in Philadelphia, which isn't great considering they had a great system, the best offensive line in the NFL, and elite receivers taking the heat off the running game. Your statement that I wasn't invested in that point simply is not accurate. I pushed hard that Johnson needed to step up because I didn't think Gainwell could do what he did. Maybe you forgot that. Maybe you just don't like me disproving the claim that I won't admit when I'm wrong.

 

The guy who brought Harris into the discussion now wants to keep reminding everyone this thread is supposed to be about the 2026 Steelers. Gotta love people causing an issue, then complaining about said issue.

 

Can we all agree the Steelers wont start Harris in 2026?

 

Well now that you bring it up he is available

Apparently no one likes him better than any other RB on 32 rosters