Perhaps there have been bigger shocks this offseason than the Pittsburgh Steelers declining Najee Harris’ fifth-year option. A quarterback room of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields minus Kenny Pickett tops it.
But I’ll admit my expectation was Harris having his option exercised by today’s 4 PM/ET deadline. Instead, he’ll enter 2024 in the final year of his rookie contract, a free agent-to-be. It doesn’t sound as if Pittsburgh is closing the door on a long-term deal after the season, but it begs the question what more he could’ve done to earn that fifth year.
Sure, he’s a running back. If you’re ranking positions, it’s one of the least valuable in football. But Pittsburgh’s an old-school team building an old-school model. One that puts high priority on the running game, building out the offensive line, and controlling time of possession.
Harris hasn’t been an elite player. And he’s no longer the team’s workhorse back. Still, he’s put together three-straight 1,000-yard seasons, a first in team history, and played the best football of his career down the stretch in 2023. Behind an offensive line featuring Broderick Jones capable of run blocking, Harris ran angry. Few break tackles like him. Last year alone, his 30 broken tackles were second-most in the league (only behind Jacksonville’s Travis Etienne, who had his option picked up) while his 8.5 broken tackle/per attempt rate was fifth-best among those with at least 100 carries. The man has a couple of scepters in his house, is what I’m saying.
No back has been durable like Najee Harris. No one. That’s usually the sticking point with the position. Good player, hasn’t been healthy enough. Harris has started all 51 possible games of his career, never missing a game and rarely leaving one midway through it. Despite a high overall workload — his 978 touches 44 more than anyone else in the league — he’s been a titan of availability. Of players with 600-plus carries since 2021, Harris is the only one to appear in every game. The next closest is Zeke Elliott’s 49 while only two others, Joe Mixon and Josh Jacobs, have appeared in even 45.
His game is well-rounded, Harris able to block and catch, even if those traits have been relied on less often given Jaylen Warren’s emergence as the team’s third-down back.
Harris’ biggest knock is his lack of big-play ability. There’s no arguing that. But the Steelers knew what they were getting when they drafted him. That wasn’t his calling card at Alabama. For what it’s worth, Harris was second in the league in 20-plus yard runs last year, though his longest of the season was just 25.
Based on initial reporting, the Steelers want to see how Harris and the Steelers backs fit in new OC Arthur Smith’s offense. If that’s the case, could the team show less confidence in either side? Hiring a run-oriented and experienced coach who has a well-defined system, and instead of leading with confidence, that Harris will succeed in this offense, the team leads with caution. Hopefully this doesn’t mean the Steelers are planning the typical-Smith “monster committee” approach where Cordarrelle Patterson is seeing serious playing time.
Omar Khan wasn’t the GM when Harris was drafted but Mike Tomlin was still the head coach. And Khan has given plenty of lip service talking Harris up. Today’s actions speak differently.
A fifth-year option isn’t incredibly expensive anyway. Harris’ $6.79 million amount wouldn’t have even cracked the top 10 at the position. That would’ve earned him hardly more than Carolina Panthers running back Miles Sanders and less than what all the top free agent backs got paid this offseason.
Given Harris’ resume, there’s not much more he could’ve reasonably done to earn that fifth-year option. Pittsburgh has slowly been building up its offensive line and he’s spent parts of his career running behind less of a wall and more behind caution tape. Easy to get through.
He should come into camp properly anger and run as such during the year. Pittsburgh will still lean on him – and Warren – to be key contributors in the offense. And I would’ve understood their idea of letting Najee Harris play out five years in Pittsburgh and move on after 2025. Handing out second contracts to the position has proven perilous. Instead, they might have him for only four.
