Steelers' Najee Harris Shows Severe Lack Of Confidence In Mitch Trubisky Ahead Of Week 14

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost Kenny Pickett to a sprained ankle in Week 13 and will be forced to turn to Mitch Trubisky for the foreseeable future. This includes their upcoming Thursday Night Football matchup against the New England Patriots. Trubisky was the offensive captain in 2022, and he will have to prove that he can continue to be a leader, both on and off the field. Trubisky has recently put all that responsibility on himself, as he stated he wants to push the ball downfield and be the reason that the Steelers win games to close out the regular season.

Steeler Nation has their doubts about Trubisky, and they might not be alone. Najee Harris was asked about Trubisky's leadership style on Tuesday and how that works for him. After clarifying the question with the reporter, he responded with a very uninspiring answer.

"It's fine, I guess. Yeah, it's fine."

Even though Harris seemed somewhat annoyed with the reporter and her questions, there was no confidence at all in his answer. He could have talked about how good of a mentor he has been for Pickett, or his sheer desire to launch the ball and be aggressive. Instead of giving an answer that highlights Trubisky's leadership qualities, Harris gives a very soft "It's fine, I guess," with no enthusiasm or confidence in the slightest. 

That same reporter followed up her question by asking Harris to describe Trubisky's leadership. Once again, he gave a very quiet, uninspiring answer that didn't express much faith.

"Vocal, I guess."

The fact that Harris can't give a strong answer about Trubisky's ability to lead is a damning testament. He appears to be trying to avoid saying something negative, but his mannerisms say a whole lot more. He could not come up with a way to praise Trubisky on the spot, and it was very clear. 

While those questions come off as him just being annoyed with the media, that's not the case. He went into detail and expanded on every other question he was asked on, including sending his regards to Pickett and playing on Thursday Night Football. The questions on Trubisky and his leadership however, were the only ones where he gave a short answer and tried to move on quickly. 

Can The Steelers Trust Trubisky?

While Trubisky had plenty of issues as a starter, he has had some mixed results as a backup/spot starter role. Pickett has unfortunately had many injuries in his short career already, so the Steelers know what Trubisky is capable of, and he wants to prove that he can be trusted.

Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season, Trubisky had a very efficient game. He went 9/12 for 144 yards and a touchdown, as well as a couple of runs to officially put the game out of reach. Even though the Buccaneers were struggling to decipher Pittsburgh's injured defense, the Steelers likely lose that game if Trubisky doesn't make clutch play after clutch play in the fourth quarter. 

Trubisky also started against the Carolina Panthers in 2022, where the team repeatedly had long drives, including a 21-play drive that ate about 12 minutes from the clock. The clock control made it nearly impossible for the Panthers to make a comeback, as Trubisky led the Steelers to a 24-16 win to kick off their four-game win streak.

Trubisky has also had plenty of ugly moments. He came in very early against the Baltimore Ravens, which was the week before his victory over Carolina. He tried to be the gunslinger that he recently claimed he wanted to be, but it backfired on him. He threw three interceptions in a two-point loss. He was efficient beyond those plays, but they ended up costing the Steelers the game and a playoff spot. He also had the two appearances in 2023, where he couldn't lead the team to comeback wins.