07 September 2023 , 20:08
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Pittsburgh Steelers star running back Najee Harris has no bad feelings after losing a team captaincy role to quarterback Kenny Pickett for the 2023 NFL season.
The Steelers are preparing to navigate a competitive AFC North division and return to the playoffs. Pittsburgh, who have never had a losing record in head coach Mike Tomlin’s 17-year tenure, have not made the playoffs since the conclusion of the 2021 season.
Ahead of the new campaign, the Steelers announced their team captains for the season, with Pickett representing the only offensive captain while linebacker T.J. Watt, defensive lineman Cameron Heyward and safety Miles Killebrew are all captains on the defensive side of the ball. The move to make Pickett a captain is intriguing as he enters his sophomore season; former star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t named a captain until his fifth season.
Despite Pickett taking over as offensive captain from himself and quarterback Mitch Trubisky, Harris is not upset by the decision. He understands Pickett is the quarterback, and is unconcerned over who is the chosen leader so long as the team wins.
“Kenny’s the quarterback,” Harris told reporters. “Kenny’s the guy. I have no issue with that.
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“I don’t think anybody has an issue with there being one captain. As long as we win, we’re not tripping. It’s all a team sport.”
It’s certainly a good display of team spirit from the third-year running back, who has tallied over 1,000 yards in each of his previous seasons with the Steelers. However, the decision to rescind captaincy surely affected his pride on some level after he was one of two offensive captains in 2022.
Kenny Pickett is looking to continue his improvement after an impressive rookie season (AP)On Tuesday, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin explained why Pickett stands as the sole offensive captain for the AFC North franchise this season. In his weekly press conference, the 51-year-old said: “[Kenny Pickett] being the lone captain on offense is obviously no disrespect to the leadership of others, but probably more reflection of everyone’s feel of his growth and development, not only as a player but as a leader within this collective, the team’s view of him and his growth and development.”
Harris’ Steelers open their 2023 NFL regular season campaign against the San Francisco 49ers at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday 10 September.