It seemed like a foregone conclusion — until it wasn’t.
The news that the Pittsburgh Steelers declined running back Najee Harris’ fifth-year option was rather eye-opening for many on Thursday afternoon, as the Steelers didn’t pick up the $6.79 million option in 2025, putting Harris in a contract year.
Concerns abound following the decision, but for Pro Football Focus’ Steve Palazzolo — unsurprisingly — it was the right move from the Steelers’ perspective.
“Yeah, I might be even higher on Najee than everyone else is. I think he’s fine as a runner, but you definitely saw what you guys are citing. I don’t care about a thousand-yard season or anything; that’s like 59 yards per game right now in a 17-game schedule. That’s not a big deal,” Palazzolo said on the 93.7 The Fan PM Show with Andrew Fillipponi and Chris Mueller, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “But I think the idea of getting the next running back in there is fine. And I mean that’s why when we went back a few years ago, we said don’t use that first round pick on a running back.
“You also have to take into the analysis how effective Jaylen Warren was last year behind that same offensive line, creating explosive plays. I thought Najee was fine, but he really came on at the end and looked a little bit better down the stretch but was inconsistent and we just saw a much more explosive running attack with Warren. So yeah, I think it does make sense to move on.”
Last season after cracking the 1,000-yard mark in the regular-season finale against the Baltimore Ravens, Harris made franchise history, becoming the first Steelers running back ever to have 1,000 yards in three straight seasons to open his career.
While that might not be a feat that means much to Palazzolo, it was noteworthy in Steelers history. That means something.
Harris, to his credit, came on down the stretch in 2023, helping the Steelers really lean into the bully-ball style with their big, bruising running back. From Week 9 to the end of the season, Harris averaged 4.2 yards per carry, recorded four games with 80 or more rushing yards, and closed the regular season with two straight 100-yard games. That stretch included a season-best 122 yards and two touchdowns on the road against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17.
Now, he enters a contract year, throwing the Steelers’ offense into a slight bit of flux, especially with Warren a restricted free agent at the end of the year as well.
Despite knowing that, the Steelers viewed $6.79 million as too much of a financial commitment for the unknown as reports indicate they are waiting to see how Harris looks in new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense before making a financial commitment to him.
Even with the reasoning that Palazzolo laid out — and the belief that the running back position is simply not a position to invest a second contract in, let alone spend a first-round pick on — the news Thursday afternoon was still rather stunning with Harris having his option declined.
We’ll see what happens over the summer and on into training camp with Harris and a potential contract extension, or if there is a chance for the dreaded “hold-in” in training camp. But this does not seem like a great situation overall for both parties, especially Harris.
