Video: Najee Harris Responds to Colts' Zaire Franklin Calling Steelers RB 'Soft'

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris says he laughed when he saw he had been called "soft" by Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin after Sunday's 27-24 loss in Indianapolis.

"Great player. Was going back and forth, at it all game. Competition, man, it is what it is," Harris told reporters on Thursday.

Harris continued: "When I saw the comment, I was just laughing, like hey man, congratulations... you won, you can talk whatever you want. It is what it is."

Harris said he didn't remember making an obscene gesture in the tunnel before the game, a photo of which Franklin responded to on X.

Harris was unable to get much going against the Colts defense as he recorded 19 rushing yards on 13 attempts during the Steelers' first loss of the season.

He recorded another 54 receiving yards on three catches.

Harris performed well alongside Jaylen Warren as the centerpiece Steelers' rushing attack as the team played with three different quarterbacks in 2023, but through four games of the 2024 season, he is at risk of falling short of his fourth-straight season with 1,000 rushing yards.

The fourth-year running back has made 68 carries for 228 yards and has yet to record a touchdown through four games.

Franklin, who made nine tackles during the Colts' win, following up his posts on X by criticizing Harris on Wednesday's episode of his podcast The Trenches.

"I don't really know that guy personally. I wouldn't say I have personal feelings towards that guy, but what I will say is, first of all he flipped the double birds to our fans," Franklin said (7:00 mark of the video below." "That's the only thing I'm saying... You flipping off my city coming in, and then you going to go put out that type of performance, I'm gonna speak on it."

Franklin added: "And then to not go out there and really be on some dog barking s--t?... The last three times we've played him he's really quit."

Despite his struggles against the Colts, the Steelers will need to lean on Harris even more after the Week 4 loss.

Both Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson exited the contest in Indianapolis with injuries. If neither running back is able to rejoin practice this week, Harris could be set to take the majority of the Steelers' carries during this Sunday's home game against the Dallas Cowboys.