Yahoo Sports Najee Harris injury update: Steelers RB injured, returns in game vs Bengals
Since being selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Najee Harris has been an ironman for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The veteran appeared to suffer an injury early in the Steelers' Week 13 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Harris was banged up on a non-contact play in the first quarter of the AFC North matchup. He was able to get off the field under his own power but received medical attention on the sidelines.
Here's what to know about Harris' injury and his status for the remainder of Sunday's game.
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Najee Harris injury update
Harris has been cleared to return to Sunday's game, according to the CBS broadcast. He returned to action on the team's fourth offensive drive, taking a carry 8 yards off left tackle.
Harris was injured after catching a dump-off pass from Russell Wilson with just over 8 minutes left in the first quarter.
Harris caught the pass and ran into open space before pulling up midway through his run. He was able to stay on his feet and run out of bounds, where Bengals safety Jordan Battle hit him, but then hobbled to the sideline, hunched over.
Harris didn't go into the blue medical tent immediately after the injury. However, the medical staff treated him, and he was seen getting oxygen and being checked on by Wilson, Mike Tomlin and Pat Freiermuth, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor.
The Steelers didn't immediately provide an update on Harris' condition or whether he could return to the game. But after missing the Steelers' third drive of the game, he returned to action on the fourth.
Who is Najee Harris' backup on Steelers depth chart?
Jaylen Warren has been listed as the Steelers' top backup behind Harris, but Cordarrelle Patterson got a majority of the work for Pittsburgh on the drive following Harris' injury.
Below is a look at the Steelers' running back depth, which features three active players in Week 13:
Najee Harris
Jaylen Warren
Cordarrelle Patterson
The team also has Jonathan Ward on its 53-man roster but he is inactive for Sunday's contest.
Najee Harris stats
Harris had 2 carries for 8 yards but caught 4 passes for 45 yards before leaving Sunday's game. He returned to action and doubled his yardage total with an 8-yard gain on his first carry back.
He has 749 rushing yards and three total touchdowns on the season and is on pace for the fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season to begin his NFL career.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Najee Harris injury update: Steeler RB returns to game vs Bengals
