Despite rushing for at least 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons, becoming the only running back in the NFL to do so in that timeframe, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris finds himself set to hit free agency at the start of the new league year on March 12.
With his entrance into free agency, assuming the Steelers don’t re-sign him before March 12, Harris is a player who might be best served with a change of scenery.
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor seems to believe that’s the case, highlighting Harris as the Steelers’ free agent who needs a “change of scenery.”
“The Steelers declined the 2021 first-round pick’s fifth-year option, making him a free agent when the league year turns over in March. While the durable Harris surpassed 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons in Pittsburgh, he averaged just 3.9 yards per carry in his Steelers career,” Pryor writes of Harris for ESPN.com. “Harris is a powerful, bruising back and has an underutilized ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.
“An offense that allows him to be versatile could help him surge in a second act.”
The decision to decline Harris’ fifth-year option last May was rather shocking, considering the option was for just $6.79 million, which would have been fully guaranteed. With the low cost of the fifth-year option, it seemed likely that the Steelers would pick up the option and run it back with Harris, but that ultimately wasn’t the case as the Steelers declined it, citing a business decision but not closing the door on Harris.
He then responded with his fourth straight 1,000-yard season, rushing for 1,043 yards and six touchdowns on 243 carries. At one point in the season, Harris appeared on pace for a monster season in the Black and Gold, ripping off three straight 100-yard games against the Raiders, Jets and Giants in Weeks 6-8 leading into the bye week.
But after the bye week, the run game fell apart for the Steelers as a young offensive line hit a wall and Harris appeared worn down. Late in the season, he was being outplayed by Jaylen Warren, too.
Durability and toughness are huge calling cards for Harris, who has 1,097 carries and another 180 receptions across four seasons and hasn’t missed a game. But despite all of those touches, he’s lacked explosive production, averaging just 4.3 yards per touch, which is ahead of only Ezekiel Elliott among all running backs with at least 750 touches in that span in the NFL.
Though the possibility remains strong that Harris could re-sign with the Steelers, it seems that things are trending toward Harris exiting the Steel City in free agency. Should he leave, running back becomes a significant need once again for the Steelers.
