Is Najee Harris worth Rhamondre Stevenson’s $9 million-plus per season?
The fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers passed on Najee Harris’ fifth-year option leads many to question how they value him. That’s fair to wonder, as it’s hard to conceive of why a team might pass on the option of a player they want to keep when the option value is within market value.
There is one possible reason, one that the Steelers would value more than most teams, and that’s precedent. Perhaps they feel they want to sign him to an extension this year rather than have two running backs hitting free agency in 2025—though Jaylen Warren would be a restricted free agent.
The Steelers have never signed a non-quarterback to an extension before the final year of their current contract. They fudged the numbers for Antonio Brown, moving money forward for two years, but even T.J. Watt had to wait. So the logic goes that by making this Harris’ last season, they can sign him to an extension now.
Let’s assume that that makes sense and move on from there. Yesterday, the New England Patriots signed RB Rhamondre Stevenson to a four-year, $36 million deal. That’s a $9 million average per season, and he has another $12 million in incentives. The Steelers pretty much never do incentives except for quarterbacks in rare instances. They won’t give Harris incentives—at least, I don’t see them doing that.
Omar Khan has done some things differently, but he also adheres to precedent. After all, he has been here for decades—he has been a part of establishing these precedents. That also helps to explain the theory of declining Najee Harris’ fifth-year option.
It’s hard to imagine Harris will settle for less than what the Patriots gave Stevenson, at least in base value. So the question is, is Najee Harris worth $9 million per season? Because, if they do want to extend him, I don’t know that they succeed at a lower price.
The Steelers’ 2023 season has been put out of its misery, ending as so many have before in recent years: a disappointing, blowout playoff loss. The only change-up lately is when they miss the playoffs altogether. But with the Buffalo Bills stamping them out in the Wildcard Round, they have another long offseason ahead.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? Will he play just one season in Pittsburgh before moving on, or the Steelers moving on from him? How will the team address the depth chart?
The Steelers are past free agency and the draft and their roster for the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
