James Harrison sees the ghost of Pittsburgh Steelers past in the team’s latest moves, and he’s giving his full-throated approval to the franchise’s new, hard-nosed direction. With new head coach Mike McCarthy making big signings in the post Mike Tomlin era, Deebo spoke about what this reminded him of in a recent episode of his Deebo and Joe podcast.

“This reminds me of back when Ben [Roethlisberger] first came in,” Harrison said. “We had a strong running game with [Jerome Bettis], Willie Parker. We’d run, run, run. They say, ‘Oh shit, they’re running on us. Eight, nine in the box, boom, and then we bomb on their ass. The hint was when we picked up [Michael] Pittman Jr. That’s a guy that can actually catch the ball very [well]… But the hint was that he likes to get physical. The boy likes to block. He likes the dirty part of his job… I’m a little excited about what we can look like…”

Harrison’s comments came after the franchise’s significant offseason acquisitions of former Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and former Carolina Panthers standout running back Rico Dowdle, among others.

After the Steelers were the only playoff team last year to not rank in the top 10 in any major category, many predicted major changes to come.

The Steelers, after winning the divisional title, suffered another disappointing postseason defeat, taking their playoff record to 2-7 over the last 10 seasons (2016–2025).

In this tenure, Pittsburgh qualified for the postseason six times and has a seven-game postseason losing streak, with its last playoff victory coming in the 2016 Divisional Round against the Kansas City Chiefs.

With the franchise moving in a new direction with McCarthy at the helm, the Omar Khan-led front office is referring to the dominant Steelers teams of the 2000s.

During Roethlisberger’s rookie year, Pittsburgh recorded only 358 passes and had 618 rushing attempts. Now fast-forwarding to 2026, with the team signing running back Rico Dowdle, who’s coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Harrison believes the Steelers will move forward with a run-focused offense.

Pittsburgh already has Jaylen Warren, and now Dowdle’s signing presents McCarthy and Co. with one of the best running back duos in the league.

“The Steelers are saying, ‘We are going to run the ball. We’re getting back to Steeler football. We’re making moves over here.’ Omar (Khan), he’s cooking with grease,” Harrison said on the Deebo and Joe podcast.

For the Pittsburgh Steelers, James Harrison has applauded this move that looks like a throwback with a modern twist. A run-first identity has always been part of Steeler football, and adding Rico Dowdle hints at a shift back to that physical, ground-and-pound approach.

But it is not outdated thinking. Last season, the Seattle Seahawks showed just how effective a two-back system can be, with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet to keep defenses guessing.

While the Steelers are expected to adopt a run-focused offense for 2026, the Pittsburgh front office has yet to find its long-term quarterback after years of opting for stopgap options. However, according to reports, the franchise is set to follow a similar approach for the new season, with 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers emerging as a favorite. Addressing this development, James Harrison has issued a strong comment against Aaron Rodgers’ return for one more season.

James Harrison is unhappy about Aaron Rodgers’ return for 2026

With the Steelers’ front office pushing to re-sign Aaron Rodgers, James Harrison has expressed disappointment with the Pittsburgh front office’s avoidance of a rebuild, despite years of postseason misery.

While Rodgers had a decent 2025 season with 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions, at age 42, he isn’t the signal-caller for the future. Hence, Harrison criticized the Steelers on his Deebo & Joe podcast in January 2025.

“I just don’t want him (Aaron Rodgers) back. I don’t want him back because we need to be able to move on,” James Harrison said, before calling out the franchise’s reluctance towards a rebuild.”This is a rebuild. Period. I know the Steelers don’t want to say that or don’t want to believe that. If you don’t want to say it because it sounds bad, but if you actually believe it, that’s worse.”

While the Steelers’ offseason moves have drawn praise from franchise legend James Harrison, the quarterback situation remains a sticking point. Until Pittsburgh commits to a true rebuild at the position, the excitement surrounding McCarthy’s run-heavy vision may be tempered by the same uncertainty that has plagued the franchise for years.