Fresh off his fourth-straight 1,000-yard rushing season in the NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris is poised to hit free agency. Once there, Harris — who hasn’t missed a game across four NFL seasons — could have quite a few opportunities.
One such opportunity could be with the Denver Broncos. For former NFL running back and current NFL Network analyst Maurice Jones-Drew, Harris landing with the Broncos is the best fit for the former Alabama running back.
“The Broncos haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Phillip Lindsay in 2019. Harris, meanwhile, became the third player in the past 20 seasons to hit the 1K mark in each of his first four NFL campaigns (joining Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson),” Jones-Drew writes for NFL.com. “Sean Payton’s offense has steadily improved over his first two seasons in Denver, and the future looks bright with Bo Nix at quarterback. What’s missing now is a run game.
“Harris is a physical, downhill rusher who consistently breaks tackles. That’s the type of back Payton (and Nix) would welcome.”
Najee Harris might not have the flashy yards per carry or rip off the 40-plus yard runs in the NFL, but he has been incredibly durable and dependable. You know what you are getting with Harris week after week.
His toughness and effort are real calling cards, too. Harris is a guy who brings the fight to defenders time after time. He’s one of the most powerful running backs in football and forces missed tackles at an impressive rate.
Based on charting here at Steelers Depot for the 2024 season, Najee Harris finished with 79 forced missed tackles to lead the team.
He also had three straight 100-yard games in the middle of the season when the Steelers’ offense was at its best. But in the end, things came apart down the stretch as the run game was too inconsistent and backup running back Jaylen Warren was more effective for the Steelers.
Still, based on Harris’ durability, toughness and consistency, he’s going to have plenty of opportunities. Denver could be a good landing spot for the former first-round pick, especially with Bo Nix in place at QB and Sean Payton at head coach.
The Broncos need a boost in the running game, having cycled through a number of running backs the last two seasons. The Steelers and Broncos won’t match up in 2025, but in the 2024 matchup in Week 2 — a 13-6 Steelers win — Denver really struggled to get much of anything from its running backs.
The Broncos rushed for just 64 yards on 19 carries, Nix leading them with 25 yards on four carries. Pittsburgh held running back Javonte Williams to just 17 yards on 11 carries.
Najee Harris might not be the game-changing running back that everyone wants in today’s NFL, but there’s something to be said for the workhorse who will be available for every game and will fight for every blade of grass, setting the physical tone offensively.
