The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team known for running the football with authority. At least they used to be. For numerous seasons, the team has failed to get it together offensively. The running game that has been a staple of Steelers football for decades was nowhere to be found.
The Steelers’ rushing attack resurfaced as the 2023 season concluded, with backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren leading the team to the playoffs. The tandem returns in 2024 and will most likely constitute the backbone of the Steelers’ offense.
Najee Harris has 3,269 career rushing yards as of this writing, ranking him number 13 on the list of top Pittsburgh Steelers running backs. He’s run for 1,000 yards or better in each of his first three seasons, and a similar effort in 2024 will etch his name among all-time Steeler greats.
Here is a look at the best running back in Steelers history and the hill Harris will need to climb to reach Steelers immortality.
5. John Henry Johnson
1960-1965
4,381 Yds, 26 Tds
In the 1970s, the Pittsburgh Steelers established their now-legendary dynasty and an expectation of greatness that continues today. However, the decades before that were pretty dismal. There were occasional bright spots, and one of them was fullback John Henry Johnson.
Johnson started his career in San Francisco, where he made the Pro Bowl as a rookie. He spent three seasons with the 49ers, then three in Detroit, before landing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1960. He made three more Pro Bowls during his time in the Steel City while racking up 1,000-yard seasons in ‘62 and ‘64. Johnson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the class of 1987.
4. Le’Veon Bell
2013-2017
5,336 Yds, 35 Tds
Bell’s time in Pittsburgh is a tale of what could have been. As part of the “Killer B’s” offense, he had the advantage of playing alongside dynamic wide receiver Antonio Brown and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in his prime. Bell made three Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team during his time in Pittsburgh before the wheels came off.
3. Willie Parker
2004-2009
5,378 Yds, 24 Tds
Willie Parker turned heads at the 2004 NFL Combine when he clocked a time of 4.28 seconds in the 40-yard dash. The Pittsburgh Steelers had never fielded a running back with that kind of breakaway speed, and it didn’t take long for Parker to make an impact.
2. Jerome Bettis
1996-2005
10,571 Yds, 78 Tds
Bettis spent his first three NFL seasons with the Rams, where he made two Pro Bowls and one All-Pro roster. The Rams dealt him to Pittsburgh in 1996 hoping to revamp their offense, and the Bus was born.
During his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bettis made four more Pro Bowls and one more All-Pro team. He ran for over 10,000 yards, including six straight 1,000-yard seasons. His career came to a storybook ending in 2005 when he returned to his hometown of Detroit for Super Bowl XL and left with a Lombardi Trophy.
1. Franco Harris
1972-1983
11,950 Yds, 91 Tds
Franco Harris is the leading rusher in Pittsburgh Steelers history and one of the greatest running backs of all time. He ran for 1,000 yards or more every season from 1974 to 1979 while helping the Steelers win four Super Bowls. At the time of his retirement in 1983, Harris was the third-leading rusher in NFL history.
During his epic career, Harris made nine Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team, won four Super Bowls, earned NFL Rookie of the Year in 1972, and was named MVP of Super Bowl IX. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the class of 1990, and his No. 32 jersey is one of only three officially retired by the Steelers.
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