What to do with Najee Harris’ fifth-year option is one of the big questions the Pittsburgh Steelers faced this offseason. Somewhat surprisingly, they chose to decline the option, setting him on a course for unrestricted free agency in March. While they can still re-sign him then, or even extend him now, Ray Fittipaldo doesn’t see it happening.
Indeed, while he sort of painted the Rhamondre Stevenson contract as the death knell, Fittipaldo went further in talking to Christopher Carter on the North Shore Drive podcast. In so many words, they made up their minds about Harris long before the New England Patriots set their market.
“The Steelers turned down Najee Harris at $6.7 million on a one-year deal. When I look at it, I just think, when they made that decision in the first week of May, it signaled that they were ready to move on from Najee Harris”, Fittipaldo said. “I know that Omar Khan has said that doesn’t mean a deal can’t be done in the future, but … I think in the end when they told us they weren’t interested in picking up his fifth-year option, just read between the lines that they weren’t interested in having him back at all for the 2025 season”.
The Steelers selected Najee Harris in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, using him as their bell-cow runner. While his lack of long speed always limited him, it was the emergence of Jaylen Warren that put the fly in the ointment.
A college free agent, Warren has forced his way into the rotation the past two years. He totaled more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage last season, including 370 receiving yards, taking over most of the pass-game duties. Harris is also a back with a complete skill set, but they have used him more as a battering ram.
But now the Steelers have to bear Warren’s future in mind when considering Najee Harris. Can they afford to retain both, or must they choose one over the other? How much are they willing to spend on the running back position, while they focus more on the run game?
Some reported that wanting to wait and see how he fit into new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense was a primary reason the Steelers declined Harri’s fifth-year option. They can still franchise tag him in 2025 or sign him to an extension before free agency.
But Fittipaldo doesn’t even believe that they have any intention of retaining him beyond this season. Harris has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons, and he has been durable. But on a per-snap basis, Warren has been more dynamic and more impactful.
Even if the Steelers wanted to re-sign Harris, new contracts like Stevenson’s will only make it harder by raising costs. How much would they be willing to commit to him, knowing that they have a running back of Warren’s quality? Fittipaldo doesn’t think it would be too much, if at all.
