The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team known for running the football with authority. At least they used to be. For several seasons, the team has struggled to get it together offensively. The running game that has been a hallmark of Steelers football for decades was nowhere to be found.
The Steelers rushing attack finally reemerged as the 2023 season ended, with backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren carrying the team into the playoffs. The duo returns in 2024, and will probably form 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.
Bell sat out the 2018 season because of a contract dispute and left the team the following year. He landed with the Jets in 2019, and he bounced around the league in 2020 and 2021 but never seemed to recapture the magic he had in Pittsburgh.
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.
He ran for 1,200 yards or more in his first three seasons and finished his career in Pittsburgh as number three in all-time rushing yards for the Steelers.
Parker made two Pro Bowls as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and was a member of two winning Super Bowl teams. His biggest moment came in Super Bowl XL when he broke off a Super Bowl record 75-yard touchdown run at the start of the second half.
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.
Bettis entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the class of 2015 and is regarded today as one of the most beloved Steelers of all time.
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.
Statistical Reference and Complete List of Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Rushing Leaders:
- Pittsburgh Steelers Career Rushing Leaders | Pro Football Reference
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