The Giants signed running back Najee Harris on Tuesday and he said at a press conference that he thinks he has “a good opportunity” to contribute because of how John Harbaugh-coached teams approach offensive football.
Before Harris can contribute anything to the offense, he’ll need to show that he’s healthy. Harris tore his Achilles while playing for the Chargers early last season and he was cleared to return to football work a couple of months ago.
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Harris said on Tuesday that he’s not sure how long it will take him to be back to prime football shape, but that he is motivated by the chance to show that he has recovered well enough from the injury to make an impact for his new team.
“I most definitely go into every year with a chip on my shoulder, but more so much this year,” Harris said, via a transcript from the team. “I have a lot to prove as somebody coming back from a torn Achilles. Really everything that I did in the past is in the past, and everything I do now is really what matters. I know there are going to be a lot of questions of how I’ll come back looking, and I’m ready to answer all those.”
Harris never missed a game during four seasons with the Steelers and he crossed 1,000 rushing yards in each of those years. He picked up most of those yards in small chunks — his career average is under four yards a carry — and showing he can still be counted on in that role will be the first step toward earning time in the Giants backfield.
