The Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback situation has been talked to death ever since they crashed and burned in the playoffs. However, it’s not the only spot on the roster the Steelers need to improve. Specifically on the offense, they’ve got to figure something out at running back. Both Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris see their contracts expire and become free agents this offseason.
Warren is a restricted free agent, so it might be easier for the Steelers to retain him. As for Harris, things remain up in the air. Sam Monson of The 33rd Team doesn’t think Harris moves the needle for the Steelers, or pretty much any team, for that matter.
“Najee Harris was a first-round draft pick, but he’s consistently sort of demonstrated that he’s a prisoner of the offense that he’s in,” Monson said on his Check The Mic podcast. “If you don’t have a really good run-blocking unit, Najee Harris is probably not drastically improving the situation just by his presence. Unless you’re adding him to an offense like the Eagles or Lions that’s dominant, he’s just not worth investing in significant money.”
Harris is one of the harder players to truly evaluate. When he was drafted in 2021, if you told Steelers fans Harris had eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in each season of his rookie contract, they’d probably be thrilled. Yet, Harris has managed to do that, and he’s still thought of as an overrated back by some.
Part of the reason is because Harris hasn’t been efficient, despite the yardage. Through four years, he’s run for 4,312 yards. That’s impressive, but he’s done it on an extremely high number of carries at 1,097. He can clearly handle the workload, but his career mark of 3.9 yards per carry isn’t efficient. Harris also doesn’t have the long speed some teams desire out of the running back position. The lack of speed coming out of the Steelers backfield in 2024 hurt them, and it’s something they’ll likely address this offseason.
The Steelers did have a lot of injuries on their offensive line last year. Russell Wilson also fell off a cliff over the last month of the season. Both of those factors made things tougher for Harris. Still, he’s yet to show much growth in recent years. Although he’s topped 1,000 yards four years in a row, he’s been skimming by. Over the last three years, Harris has 1,034, 1,035 and 1,043 rushing yards.
Harris finding another team isn’t a forgone conclusion. Earlier this offseason, Steelers insider Gerry Dulac reported that he actually had a decent chance of returning to Pittsburgh. Ultimately, it will come down to his market. If a team outbids Pittsburgh, and the Steelers feel similarly to Monson here, Harris’ time in Pittsburgh will likely come to an end.
