Shelby Harris on the Broncos' Stakes in Four Remaining Games: 'Jobs Are on the Line'
One of the highlights of the Denver Broncos' hard-fought game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football was when defensive lineman Shelby Harris tracked down perhaps the NFL’s fastest man Tyreek Hill 30 yards downfield.
Harris had just returned to the Broncos' lineup after spending a month on the Reserve/COVID list after contracting the virus, so the sight of him streaking downfield with such alacrity put to bed any lingering questions surrounding his conditioning.
Requisite fitness levels were very much in the forefront of head coach Vic Fangio’s mind last week during the build-up to SNF when he went on record to say Harris would be on a snap-count.
“He won’t be able to play his normal allotment of plays,” Fangio said last week. “We’re going to have to have to get him in and out of there a bunch.”
Based on the first seven games of the season, a normal allotment of plays for the 29-year-old lineman is 60.7 percent of defensive snaps — a total of 242 plays. That’s a percentage that Fangio will be anxious to see Harris return to as the season draws to its conclusion.
“Yeah, definitely. We’d like to build his snap count up as we go through these next four weeks,” Fangio said on Monday. “I thought he played well last night. I thought we managed his reps just about right, and hopefully, we’ll be able to get him more because he’s definitely a guy we like to have in there.”
Fangio’s desire to have Harris on the field speaks volumes of the increased level of impact the lineman is having. There's a fine line to working him back into action responsibly and that’s totally okay with Harris because his body reacted well to the first game action he's had in a month.
“No, I feel good, but I think we had the perfect plan going into this game,” Harris said. “I’m not going to say, ‘I should have went more or should have went less.’ I think it was a perfect amount. The trainers and coaches came up with a great plan for me to come back and really feel comfortable in this game.”
Harris will need to stay fit and available over the remaining four games if he is to nail down the long-term contract extension he so puzzlingly missed out on last offseason. His one-year bet on himself was working out just fine until COVID-19 intervened to temporarily derail his momentum but his philosophy on getting paid is a simple one that starts with handling his business on the field.
"For me, it's just about focusing on playing the game of football and really just focusing on going out there and producing and getting W's. Everything else will work itself out," Harris said on Sunday.
Getting back to the business of playing football means Harris still has a great opportunity to prove to the Broncos — and 31 outside teams — what he's worth as a free agent next spring. Job security is a key issue for Harris, his teammates, and coaches in these four remaining games.
“We’re pros—mentally—we’re trying to win the next game,” Harris said in simple terms. “People’s jobs (are) on the line—and that’s why I always think it’s funny when people ask, ‘Oh, your record's this, your record's this,’ you’re fighting for your job next year. That’s literally what it is. It’s you’re fighting for your job next year. If you’re not, then you’re going to be out this league.”
Having bounced around a trio of teams before finding a place with the Broncos, Harris knows there is still a lot to play for in 2020, even if the standings say it’s a lost cause. So many of his teammates have been lost for the season due to injuries that have required surgery, and Harris knows it’s just a blessing to be able to suit up once again.
“I love this stuff. Come on I’ve been watching this on TV for four weeks,” Harris enthused. “Just to get back—I’m truly blessed to be able to get back and play football, to have my health—to have everything and go out there and be able to play this game. (It’s) so special to just get back on that field with my boys and just ride. Man, it felt so good to get back out there.”
Follow Keith on Twitter @KeithC_NFL and @MileHighHuddle.
