Joe Sargent/Getty Images Najee Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers hurdles over Saivion Smith of the Detroit Lions during the second quarter of a preseason game on August 28, 2022.
On Sunday August 28 Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris was out there doing Najee Harris things against the Detroit Lions. In addition to hard-working his way to 10 yards rushing and 11 yards receiving, he was seen hurdling a would-be tackler in 6-foot-1 Lions cornerback Saivion Smith.
“It was good to get back out there. I’m kind of rusty, a little bit, I’ll say,” Harris admitted, before reminding observers that he’s been “down for about four weeks.”
Najee Harris ‘Never Did Just Get My Foot Stepped On’
Then he dropped a truth bomb, saying, “Just to give everybody an update, I never did just get my foot stepped on. I had a sprained Lisfranc. So that’s why I was out for the majority of the camp.”
Najee Harris said it was good to shake off the rust
That’s news to Steelers Nation. Recall that when Harris went down during practice on August 1, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Harris’ foot got stepped on but it “shouldn’t be a major deal,” as noted by Brooke Pryor of ESPN.
Mike Tomlin says Najee Harris’ foot got stepped on but it “shouldn’t be a major deal.”
Except a Lisfranc injury can be a big deal. The typical timeline for a sprained Lisfranc is four to six weeks, and with Harris in action against the Lions, there’s every indication he’ll be good to go for the season opener at Cincinnati. But a torn Lisfranc can be serious. Recall that Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Matt Corral recently suffered a Lisfranc injury and he is “likely out for the year.”
It bears watching to see what Mike Tomlin has to say in the wake of his running back’s surprising reveal.
That said, Harris says he’s happy to have seen action in the preseason, giving him a chance to knock some of the rust off before the regular-season opener at Cincinnati.
“Getting live action like this (helps), because I’m not getting live action in practice,” Harris concluded.
Backup Safety Damontae Kazee Needs Surgery
Meanwhile, the Steelers suffered a handful of new injuries against the Lions, with outside linebacker T.J. Watt (knee) and wide receiver Diontae Johnson (shoulder) leaving the game early with injuries that aren’t believed to be significant.
On the other hand, backup safety Damontae Kazee needs surgery on his injured wrist and will go on injured reserve, this according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Bad news for Steelers: Backup safety Damontae Kazee needs surgery on injured wrist/arm and will go on IR.
Also, rookie defensive back Carlins Platel was carted off the field late in the fourth quarter during Pittsburgh’s 19-9 victory over the Lions, having suffered an apparent leg injury.
According to Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Platel was on crutches in the locker room after the game.
Rookie DB Carlins Platel was on crutches in the Steelers locker room postgame
Carlins, a rookie undrafted free agent, signed with the Steelers after a mid-May tryout. He played for three years at Division II Assumption University in Worcester, Mass. before transferring to South Carolina and appearing in 12 games for the Gamecocks in 2021.
Saints Cut Former Steelers Cornerback
In other news from Sunday, New Orleans released former Steelers cornerback Brian Allen, one of five players the Saints released in advance of the league-mandated cutdown to 53 players.
Saints’ Sunday roster moves, releasing Brian Allen, Josh Black, Derrick Kelly. Abram Smith and Klalique Washington
Allen signed with the Saints two weeks ago, just days after hosting him for a workout.