The Pittsburgh Steelers declined to exercise the fifth-year option of Najee Harris’ rookie contract. Steelers general manager Omar Khan stated, “It was a business decision that we had to make by May 2.”
Khan added, “But Najee’s awesome to have around here. Love Najee as a player and a person. Just because we didn’t pick it up, it doesn’t exclude us from doing something with Najee long-term. I’d love to say Najee was here and had a long career in Pittsburgh. He really represents us well on the field and off the field.” Pittsburgh did not work out a long-term contract with Harris before the season commenced.
The Steelers could have locked up Najee Harris for the 2025 season for around $6.8 million. With Jaylen Warren scheduled to be a restricted free agent, Pittsburgh could have retained both running backs at a price that was not too steep.
Najee’s Progress in 2024
I gave an early progress report after two games. At that time, Najee was on track to gain 1,181 rushing yards. He only had two catches for 14 yards, which extrapolated to 119 receiving yards. And he had not scored yet.
Up to the bye week, Najee has gained 592 rushing yards on 136 carries. He has scored two touchdowns. That puts him on pace to gain 1,258 rushing yards. That would place him second in rushing among the 2023 rushing leaders. Currently, he ranks seventh in rushing.
The question is whether Pittsburgh should have exercised the option or signed Najee to a long-term contract before the 2024 season began. There will be an opportunity to sign him after 2024, but depending on his production, the price may be much steeper.
I’d also keep an eye on his success rate on running plays. The top 12 running backs with at least 100 carries in 2023 had successful run rates between 50.7 and 62 percent of their rushing attempts. If Najee has over 50 percent success rate, he will be among the top running backs in that category.
Receiving
| Rush | |||||||||
| G | ATT | Yards | TD | 1D | SUCC%` | Y/A | Y/G | Brk/Tkl | |
| Najee Harris | 8 | 136 | 592 | 2 | 26 | 47.1 | 4.0 | 74.0 | 12 |
| Projected 17 Games | 17 | 289 | 1258 | 4 | 55 | 47.1 | 4.0 | 74.0 | 26 |
Plus, Najee is on pace to add 323 receiving yards on 36 receptions. However, that receiving yardage would be outside the top 50 running backs. But, combined with his rushing yardage, Najee is on track for 1,581 yards from scrimmage, which would be fifth among running backs in 2023. Currently, Najee is ranked ninth in 2024.
| Receive | Total | |||||||||
| TGTs | RECs | Yards | TD | 1D | SUCC% | Y/G | Catch% | Touch | Tot Yards | |
| 24 | 17 | 152 | 0 | 6 | 37.5 | 19.0 | 70.8 | 153 | 744 | Current |
| 51 | 36 | 323 | 0 | 13 | 37.5 | 19.0 | 70.8 | 326 | 1581 | Projected for 2024 |
Conclusion
Right now, he is on track to be an overall top-ten running back in 2024.
In 2025, the Lions’ David Montgomery is scheduled to be the ninth-highest-paid running back. Based on that, Najee Harris will likely be looking for at least $8 million annually.
Will the Steelers retain his services? Or is Najee headed for greener pastures in 2025?
Your Song Selection
I always like to include a bit of music. Will Omar Khan be able to work something out with Najee Harris? Or are we content seeing Najee go on? Who will be right or wrong? Not much time beyond this season to work it out. Here is We Can Work It Out, performed by the Beatles.
