The Pittsburgh Steelers envisioned RB Najee Harris as their bell-cow back when they drafted him in the first round. Four years later, however, he is slated to hit unrestricted free agency after the team declined his fifth-year option. After completing another 1,000-yard season, he will have options, but at what price range?
The Steelers are still in the process of laying out their offseason plans, president Art Rooney II said yesterday. That includes the running back position, and he acknowledged that Harris “is a good player”, via Bob Labriola quoting him for the team’s website. He added, “We’ll evaluate whether we can bring him back. He’s going to have choices too”.
During his four-year Steelers career, Najee Harris has 4,312 rushing yards on 1,097 attempts and 28 rushing touchdowns. He also has 1,149 receiving yards on 180 receptions and another six touchdowns. But he hasn’t caught a touchdown pass in two years and posted a career-low six touchdowns in 2024.
In addition to Harris, Jaylen Warren is a restricted free agent. As a former college free agent, he would need an elevated tag for the Steelers to have more than the right of first refusal if another team were to sign him to an offer sheet. Currently, a second-round tender is projected to be $5,217,000, which could complicate any discussions about re-signing Harris.
Either way, Rooney insists that running back is an important position to the Steelers. “Obviously, it’s important to some other teams that have had success this year, so maybe (the position) is not as devalued as some might have thought. We have a job opening in that room we’re going to have to fill. And whether it’s Najee [Harris] or somebody else, it’s going to be an important position”.
Rooney refers to teams like the Eagles and Ravens, who have relied on Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry. The Steelers hoped Najee Harris would be that kind of workhorse, but he lacks their explosive big-play potential.
Could the Steelers decide that it’s an either/or proposition between Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren? Art Rooney II didn’t say anything explicit to indicate that, but he did say there’s a job opening. Technically, there are two, unless he is assuming retaining Warren is a foregone conclusion. If that is the case, then they surely intend to tender him at, at least, the second-round level.
During his Steelers career, Harris recorded nine 100-yard rushing games. That only ranks 11th in the NFL since he entered the league, though only Henry, Barkley, and Jonathan Taylor truly blow the doors off his total. He has also had the benefit of health during that run, which hasn’t been the case for some of the names above him.
Will the Steelers allow Najee Harris to hit free agency and test the open market? While this is not the most robust veteran running back group in recent years, the 2025 NFL Draft is supposed to be quite deep. Given Rooney’s comments, and general logic, it’s hard to see the Steelers committing to two running backs. And I think more signs are pointing to retaining Warren than to Harris.
