Player: RB Najee Harris
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: In something of a surprise move, the Steelers opted not to exercise RB Najee Harris’ fifth-year option. A 2021 first-round draft pick, the decision means he can reach unrestricted free agency in March. Harris is suddenly in a contract season as the only player with three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons in franchise history.
One can debate whether the Steelers not picking up his fifth-year option works to Najee Harris’ advantage. I have no doubt, however, that on some level he views the decision as a criticism. If the Steelers really believed in him as a long-term starter of high quality, you’d think they would have exercised the option. But they opted not to, and we’ll see what the ramifications are.
The only obvious ramification is the fact that he is currently playing in a contract year now. It’s possible that the Steelers attempt to work out a contract extension with him this summer, but we’ll see. Contract talks take two parties and Harris may prefer to test the open market first at this point.
The Steelers also have potential extension talks ahead with TE Pat Freiermuth and QB Justin Fields, among others. I’m not sure if they plan to talk extension with G James Daniels, but Harris is not alone. Others hitting free agency in 2025 include CB Donte Jackson, ILB Elandon Roberts, and QB Russell Wilson.
As for Harris, it’s hard not to take the Steelers’ decision not to pick up his option yet as a knock. The price is relatively low at roughly $6.8 million, but they reportedly want to see how he fits first. Despite three years and over 800 carries on tape, they’re not sure if he meshes with Arthur Smith?
Granted, a new offensive coordinator is always an adjustment, but Harris is one of the Steelers’ known quantities. There aren’t many running backs in the league who are more on-the-surface than he is. You should have a pretty good idea if he can run what you want to run or not.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
