The Pittsburgh Steelers declined the fifth-year option of Najee Harris at the beginning of May. That was something general manager Omar Khan called a “business decision.” Khan also stated that doesn’t exclude them from extending him at a later date and the hope is that he remains with the Steelers long-term.
The Steelers still have a little over a month to handle extensions with players before they cease contract talks at the start of the regular season. Harris is certainly a candidate to receive a new deal, but according to one Steelers insider, that won’t come until after the season.
“The reason, I was told, that they didn’t pick up the option is because they wanted to see how he would fit in Arthur Smith’s offense,” said Pittsburgh Post-Gazette insider Gerry Dulac via All-Access posted on the Steelers’ YouTube channel. “If anybody was a perfect fit for Arthur Smith’s offense, you would think it would be Najee Harris. He is as close to Derrick Henry as there is in this league, but one of the reasons why they didn’t pick up his option is because they’re not so sure that Jaylen Warren might be a better fit for Arthur Smith’s offense.
“Jaylen Warren has certainly merited an extended look, and that’s what they want to see before they decide if they want to give Najee Harris another contract. Do I think they will? I do, but they are going to wait and see ’til after the season.”
Harris’ fifth-year option amount would have been just $6.79 million, but the Steelers declined. It is worth noting that the second-round RFA tender the Steelers can use on Warren is projected to be $4,978,000 next offseason. So they technically have a cheaper option for 2025 on the table if they decide to go that route.
Steelers Depot’s own Dave Bryan laid out what a two-year extension might look like for Harris based on some of the other RB contracts signed this offseason, including New England Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson.
That is a projection for if the extension occurred prior to the start of the 2024 season. It is worth noting that the price can and will change if the Steelers wait until next offseason because more running back contracts could be signed, changing the market value of the position.
According to one of his trainers back in May, Harris shed some weight this offseason to increase his explosion and agility. That would suit him well for Smith’s wide-zone run scheme. But if the Steelers wait until next offseason, there is no guarantee that Harris will want to return. He would be able to test the open market as an unrestricted free agent and might get priced out of what the Steelers are willing to pay.
Khan doubled down on his desire to keep Harris long-term during his press conference to open camp on Thursday, saying they think the world of him and still see a future with him in the building. Meanwhile, Harris spoke to the media for the first time this offseason and expressed he was disappointed at first when the option was declined, but he is just focusing on what he can control and pushing forward to the 2024 season.
We will see, but Dulac seems to think they will kick the can down the road to next offseason to make the ultimate decision on his future with the team.
