When the Pittsburgh Steelers declined the fifth-year option for Najee Harris, many believe they made a final decision. If they were not willing to pick up that relatively modest amount, they were ready to move on. Harris has now finished his rookie contract. But is he finished with the Steelers, and likewise, are the Steelers done with him?
Recently, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the Steelers and Harris’ representatives talked at the Combine. He even seemed to intimate that they could potentially re-sign him on a deal with an APY greater than what the fifth-year option value would have been. That was $6.79 million, so we’re talking $7 million APY or greater.
Not everybody is buying the sincerity of the meeting, however. Mark Kaboly, for example, suggested that it was more for optics for the Steelers—perhaps for Najee Harris as well. “I think they’re covering their rear end there”, he said on 93.7 The Fan. He added, “I would still be shocked. I haven’t heard anything. I’m not here to dispute anything Gerry [Dulac] says, but my goodness, what are you thinking?”.
Kaboly seems to be injecting a lot of his own interpretation here, believing that the Steelers should move on from Najee Harris. That also appears to be the prevailing opinion, especially if the price tag goes over $6 million APY. But what one thinks a team should do and what it is likely to do aren’t the same thing.
And while Kaboly said he would be shocked if the Steelers re-signed Harris, a short time later, he also said he “wouldn’t be stunned”, proceeding to diverge into the subjective territory. “It’s not the route I would go. I mean, what is he, 27 now? You’d have him through 30 and we already saw what he can do. I would want fresh blood in there”, he said.
He is not alone in suggesting that the reported meeting between Harris and the Steelers was chiefly optical. Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette offered the same on #1 Cochran Sports Showdown. “It looks good for him and the Steelers if it gets out that they’re at least still talking”, he said.
The Steelers do have to figure out what they’re doing at running back, with or without Najee Harris. They may have genuine interest in re-signing him, but it’s hard to imagine he wouldn’t want to see what his market value is. The Steelers have not exactly rolled out the red carpet begging him to stay, nor has he begged to stay.
Indeed, Harris has had somewhat of a choppy relationship with Steelers media, and his comments often seem guarded. He has learned over the years to be less direct in his remarks, but reading between the lines, he knows, it sometimes sounds like, that this is not necessarily the best place for him. And the Steelers, likewise, know that Harris isn’t necessarily the best back for them.
