Najee Harris cleaned up his diet and lost weight before his contract year

The Steelers passed on their 2025 option pick up on Najee Harris’ contract earlier this month, making Harris ready for a contract year in 2024.

Harris plans to go into this year at a lighter weight. The back looked thinner in photos from Steelers practice and coach Josh Scott told Brian Batko so Pittsburgh Post-Gazette That his client wasAlmost obsessively clean» On his diet since the end of the 2023 season. The result has been a drop of about seven pounds from his listed weight, and Scott said it’s part of a concerted effort by Harris to perform at his best on the field this year.

“All of this is fueling his fire to have a better season than last year and prove it A lot of people make mistakesScott said. “There’s a lot of people who hate him for whatever reason, but he’s been as consistent as can be. He’s solid. I think he’ll continue to be. I mean the contract season pretty much speaks for itself.”

Harris has never missed a game in the NFL, so his durability is not in question. With a career average of 3.9 yards per carry, his ability to make big plays is more of an issue and he seems to be hoping that easing his weight on his feet will help him produce better results on that front.