The Pittsburgh Steelers are already without their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. They may have to navigate through their Week 14 game without their starting running back as well after Najee Harris missed Tuesday's practice with a knee injury, according to Field Yates.

With the short week to prepare and three days of recovery time in between games, it is hard to monitor a player's status upon missing practice before the game. Harris is one of 11 Steelers currently on the injury report and one of three listed as a non-participant on Tuesday.

Harris has been hot as of late despite backup Jaylen Warren earning more touches. Though Warren averaged a tick under 14 touches per game across the last five contests, Harris' production has improved. The Steelers' starting running back is averaging just under 70 yards per game and scored three times during that span after finding the end zone once in the first seven games of the season.

Though Harris is carrying the ball less this season than he did in the previous two, he is as efficient as he's been since the Steelers drafted him in the first round in 2021. His 4.2 yards per attempt are a career-high. Warren leads the league in that statistic, gaining 5.9 yards per carry.

What this means for the Steelers

 

All signs point to the Steelers implementing a run-heavy offense during Thursday night's game. With Mitch Trubisky taking over under center, Pittsburgh would be wise to allow its two running backs to lead the offense against the New England Patriots.

The hope is that they'll have both running backs at their disposal, but the game plan shouldn’t change much for the Steelers if Harris is unable to go. Warren has shown he is more than capable of being a lead back based on ability alone and Steelers fans would love to see what he can do with a full workload.

Warren rushed for more yards than Harris over the last five games, a sign that the Steelers were smart in giving him more opportunities with the ball. The second-year back ripped off a scintillating 7.47 yards per carry in that span, rushing for 426 yards.

The Patriots boast one of the best rushing defenses in the league this season but the Steelers can control the game by consistently running the ball. Having both Harris and Warren available would make that easier for Pittsburgh, but they should still be able to move the ball if Harris doesn’t suit up.

The Steelers will know more about Najee Harris' status on Wednesday as all eyes will be on their final injury report. Harris has yet to miss a game in the NFL and will do everything he can to make sure his streak continues. If he can't go, Harris will have eight days to get right for Pittsburgh's Week 15 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts.