A quick glance at the Steelers' offense shows that, for the most part, there is a glaring lack of experienced players and, therefore, a bit of an absence in leadership.
But Najee Harris, in just his second year, is trying to all the void.
Harris was named a team captain last week, and will represent the offense along with quarterback Trubisky.
"It was obviously an honor for me to be named captain," he said Friday, as Pittsburgh put in final preparations for Sunday's opener in Cincinnati. "This is just my second year.
"These guys here, the coaches, staff, everybody here, they've taught me about becoming more of a man and how to carry myself."
He admits, however, the leadership is not something that has come easy to him during his career.
"There's a lot of times where I've been put in the spotlight just for making plays," he said. "But every now and then, people, schools I've been at, they try to put me in that position to be a captain. I've kind of shied away from it. Here, I'm really put in the spotlight to be a leader."
Talks with Mike Tomlin, known as one of sport's best leaders of his players, seemed to put Harris at ease when assigned with the task of captaincy, something voted on by Pittsburgh's players.
"(Tomlin) said, 'Just be yourself. Right now, just being yourself is good enough. Along the way, all the other stuff will come with it,'" Harris said.
Harris has become more proactive this preseason, however. For instance, he has taken rookie undrafted free agent tailback Jaylen Warren under his wing.
"He listens to exactly what the coaches say," Harris said of Warren. "He's a quick learner. There's not too many things he asks me in the film room, other than protections and stuff. But he asks me a lot about how to take care of his body."
Warren has been invited over to Harris' home, where the two undergo massage therapy sessions together.
The former first-round pick from Alabama has also said that he led the charge in an announcement the Steelers made Friday, that the team will wear No. 3 stickers on helmets this season as a tribute to Dwayne Haskins, who died in April.
The Steelers are hoping to have a better commitment to running the football this season, something that seems like a challenge behind an offensive line that stumbled frequently during the preseason and played poorly during Harris' rookie season.
But he remains optimistic, even if a lisfranc sprain took him out of most of training camp and preseason. Harris may not like it, but he's beginning to realize that going full force, especially when coming off an injury, might not be the best course to take.
"Me and the coaches, as in me and my position coach — but (also) me and Mike (Tomlin) — we get into arguments, because I want to get some reps in. Live reps, too," Harris said. "But they keep saying that's not the best thing."
Maturing, knowing when to back off, mentoring. They're all a sign of a player that is taking his role as a captain seriously. But he also remains a bit selfish, and that's not a bad thing. Because what he wants will, ultimately, benefit the Steelers.
That was driven home recently, when Harris was mentored a bit himself, picking the brain of Steelers legend Franco Harris, who will have his number retired this season and was present at the team's facility this week.
"How many Super Bowls does he got," Najee asked Friday.
The answer, of course, is four.
"God damn, look at me," Najee replied. "None. So let's focus on that."
