The Pittsburgh Steelers have a number of pending free agents. Whether they will be heavily sought after or not remains to be seen. But when both of your starting quarterbacks and your starting running back are free agents, that’s a big deal. So how will Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, Najee Harris, and company fare in free agency?
Well, Bucky Brooks thinks that both Fields and Harris could have excellent 2025 seasons, depending on where they land. He wrote an article on NFL.com looking at a prospect at 10 positions that he considers key. And Fields and Harris are his players at quarterback and running back, respectively.
“As one of the most dynamic athletes at the position, Fields is an enticing option for a team willing to incorporate a movement-based passing game and designed quarterback runs,” Brooks wrote. “Fields’ inconsistencies when throwing the ball can [emphasis his] disrupt an offense’s rhythm. However, the fifth-year pro (who was traded to Pittsburgh last year) also flashes enough ‘wow’ skills as a passer that a simplistic passing game could be developed around him. Considering his super powers as a runner and his natural arm talent, Fields is a worthwhile gamble for a team seeking a young quarterback to anchor its roster-building strategy going forward — unless the Steelers keep him from leaving in the first place.”
It’s hard to argue with Brooks’ assessment of Fields as a dynamic athlete. In four seasons, Fields has rushed for 2,509 yards, including 289 on 62 rushes with the Steelers last season. He’s averaged six yards per carry over the course of his career, meaning he’s got the ability to punish defenses with his legs.
And Fields has shown an ability to make big plays happen with his arm, too. Or at least, he showed it during his time with the Chicago Bears. In fact, I wrote the Steelers and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith need to work on the deep passing attack if they keep Fields in Pittsburgh for 2025 and beyond. That’s why Brooks calls Fields “a worthwhile gamble” if a team is willing to lean into his physical strengths.
Perhaps that’s what Pittsburgh ought to do as it continues to pursue signing him. The Steelers have already talked about the need to upgrade the wide receiver position. Do that, build the offense around Fields rather than putting restraints on him, and maybe the offense can be better in 2025. That’s what former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel thinks the Steelers should do, anyway.
Brooks also thinks that Najee Harris has the potential to excel in 2025 in another spot. Brooks acknowledges that Harris isn’t the most dynamic running back, but he thinks he could be a value addition.
“As a worker bee, Harris makes up for his lack of explosiveness with a persistent approach that enables teams to lean into a ‘3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust’ philosophy,” Brooks wrote. “While organizations looking for home-run hitters will bypass the fifth-year pro on the market, astute team builders could secure an effective lead back at a bargain price this offseason.”
While many fans want the Steelers to retain Harris’s services, it certainly appears that he will hit the open market. Perhaps the problem is that he’s playing in the wrong era. Brooks brings up the old-school run philosophy of three yards and a cloud of dust. Harris can pound the ball well and is remarkably durable. Brooks pointed out that Harris has four-straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons. In fact, he’s the only running back to do so over the last four years.
But Harris lacks top-end speed. He’s not a breakaway threat. And that lowers his value to most teams. His career-long run is 32 yards, which he did in both 2023 and 2024. Most NFL teams want running backs who can hit a hole and take it to the house. Harris can’t really do that.
But Harris could find success on a team that has a quality offensive line and a good passing game. If he’s facing consistently lighter boxes, perhaps he can improve on his career 3.9 yards per carry.
So will Justin Fields and/or Najee Harris have a good 2025 season? It depends on where they end up and how well they fit there. But there are certainly ways they can have successful seasons. Teams just need to lean into what they do well and set them up for success.
