The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense is in need of a jolt in the worst way. Through the first two weeks of the season, the team is 1-1 but they are near the bottom of the NFL in nearly every offensive statistic there is.
A lot of blame has been placed on the coaching staff, namely offensive coordinator Matt Canada. He has done very little to put his team in a position to succeed, actually doing the opposite with his play calling and schemes. Until there is a fundamental change in how the Steelers’ offense is run, it will be hard to see improvement.
To this point, the offensive line has also failed to consistently do its job. Quarterback Kenny Pickett is under siege more often than not when he drops back to pass and running lanes have been nonexistent for their backs to get through.
Improvement there is certainly needed, but the team could also consider a personnel change in the backfield. Would Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts do the trick? Over at ESPN, NFL insiders played the role of general manager for teams, putting together hypothetical trade packages to acquire the star running back.
For the Steelers, it was Seth Walder playing general manager. Walder has suggested that Pittsburgh offer Indianapolis running back Najee Harris and a 2024 fourth-round pick in exchange for Taylor.
“Improving the Steelers’ ground attack would take pressure off second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett, who looked like he could use the help Monday night. It also would build on what already was a strong roster ready to take a major step forward in the event Pickett breaks out.
Harris is a replacement-level back — he failed to even reach 4.0 yards per carry and posted negative rush yards over expectation in each of his first two seasons — so I’d be happy to part ways with him if I was the Steelers’ general manager (don’t tell the Colts I said that).
Indianapolis could sell Harris to its fan base as a bona fide running back only in his third season who represents a solid return for Taylor, along with a draft pick. From the Steelers’ perspective, I would be hoping to sell Taylor on the rest of this season being a chance for him to prove his worth in a new offense and prove the Colts wrong. If all goes well, fresh contract talks could open up at the end of the season.”
From Pittsburgh’s standpoint, this would be a steal. Harris hasn’t looked the same since his rookie season when it comes to explosiveness and creating big plays. Some of that is certainly the fault of the offensive line, but even when he does have room to operate, he looks sluggish.
The Steelers have looked more explosive with Jaylen Warren on the field, as he creates plays in the running game and as a pass catcher. Combining him with Taylor would theoretically create a much more dangerous backfield.
Alas, it is hard to envision the Colts being open to such a package. This wasn’t the deal that the Colts accepted in the exercise and with good reason. Next offseason Indianapolis would be in a similar position with Harris as they are with Taylor as he would be extension eligible. On top of that, a decision would have to be made on the fifth-year option on his contract.
A higher draft pick could pique the Colts’ interest, but it is hard to imagine the Steelers being able to pull off a deal for Taylor. It is fair to wonder how eager they would be to pay a running back as well as they partly played a role in the downturn of the running back market with Le’Veon Bell back in 2018.
