The Pittsburgh Steelers made the surprising decision to decline Najee Harris’ fifth-year option earlier this month, and while it leaves the running back with just one year left on his contract, former Steelers RB and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis believes it’s actually a good thing for Harris.
Appearing on The Zach Gelb Show, Bettis explained why it’s a “blessing in disguise” for Harris.
“If I was him, I would be happy because you now have an opportunity to go out and bet on yourself, prove to everyone that, ‘Hey, I’m a quality running back and guess what, I’m a free agent, people.’ So now you have an opportunity to go out there and write your own story the way you want to write it. So I just think it’s a blessing in disguise for him. Now, I think it could backfire against the Steelers, but I think it’s a great opportunity for Najee.”
The Steelers reportedly want to see how Harris fits in Arthur Smith’s scheme, hence why they decided not to pick up the option, which would’ve come in at $6.79 million. If Harris has a good season, and with Pittsburgh’s offensive line being the best it has in years and Smith’s penchant for running the ball, he’s going to be worth a lot more money this offseason.
Pittsburgh also has Jaylen Warren in the backfield, which could’ve and likely did play into their decision not to exercise Harris’ fifth-year option, but it’s a decision that could cost Pittsburgh a lot of money if they want to bring Harris back after this season. With the option being declined, it does feel likely that this will be Harris’ last season with the Steelers, and he’ll look for another opportunity next offseason.
It’ll be interesting to see how Harris performs this season, but he’s the only running back the last three seasons to have 1,000+ yards each year, and that came behind some rough offensive lines. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him have a career year and get a lot of money somewhere next offseason.
Given the volatility of running backs, the Steelers might not have wanted to sign Harris to a long-term extension, but the $6.79 million for the fifth-year option is a whole lot less than his franchise tag, which is over double the amount the option would’ve been. That’s why it was a bit of a surprise from Pittsburgh’s perspective, but for Harris, he now has the opportunity to hit the market a year earlier and a year younger, and potentially capitalize on a richer contract because of it.
From Harris’ end, he’s at OTAs and there hasn’t been any outward animosity toward the Steelers for declining his option, so maybe he sees things the same way as Bettis, that it’s a blessing in disguise for him. It’s going to make for a very interesting season and offseason next year to see how the rest of the league views Harris, and if he can have a career year in what could shape up to be his last season in Pittsburgh.
