Najee Harris Blames Slow Start Against Bengals On Steelers' Teammate's Girlfriend's Thanksgiving Dish

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris was sidelined for a brief period during the first quarter of his team's eventual 44-38 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. His absence from the field raised eyebrows, but according to Harris there is a very simple explanation behind it: he ate too much of a potentially iffy Thanksgiving dish a teammate's girlfriend made.

We've all been there - not the part of being an NFL running back - but we've all overindulged and paid the price for it soon thereafter.

During his postgame press conference, Harris singled out Pat Freirmuth's girlfriend, specifically the banana dish she made that he claims was responsible for his slow start in Cincinnati.

"Thanksgiving, Pat’s girlfriend, Jill, she made this fire-ass little banana thing," Harris said. "I had too much. I guess I didn’t know it affected me until that first drive. So, I blame her."

The oddest part of Harris' comments is the fact that he appeared to be completely serious when blaming Freirmuth's girlfriend. He didn't laugh or even begin to crack a smile during his exchange. He said he ate a few oranges and felt better after the fact.

Blaming a teammate's girlfriend's cooking for a slow start is a bold move, especially when we're discussing a meal that we can only assume took place on Thanksgiving day, three full days before the Steelers battled the Bengals.

Harris eventually got involved in the game during Pittsburgh's fourth possession in which he scored a touchdown on a 10-yard run. Finding the endzone was a preview of what was to come, as he managed to pick up 75 yards on the ground and another 64 yards receiving.