While nothing is done yet, it sounds like Pittsburgh Steelers RB Najee Harris could be heading to the West Coast. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported via Twitter on Monday night that the Los Angeles Chargers are “pursuing” Harris and want to close a deal to bring the free-agent running back to Los Angeles.
“The #Chargers are pursuing #Steelers free agent RB Najee Harris and hope to close a deal, per The Insiders. The deal is not done yet. But potentially and if all goes well, a big addition for one of the NFL’s best rushing attacks,” Rapoport wrote on Monday.
Harris had reportedly prepared to leave Pittsburgh, with NFL insider Josina Anderson reporting that he had said some goodbyes on Sunday to members of the Steelers. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler followed up on that report and said that the Chargers were a team to watch for Harris, and it seems as if a deal could get done shortly.
Los Angeles released RB Gus Edwards last week, and J.K. Dobbins, their leading rusher last season, is a free agent. Harris ran for four straight 1,000-plus yard seasons with the Steelers since the team selected him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the only running back to do so over the last four seasons, but it’s felt unlikely he’d return to Pittsburgh.
The Steelers declined his fifth-year option last May. Then, they didn’t extend him prior to 2024. With a deep running back class in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Steelers seem poised to move on and work with a rookie running back and Jaylen Warren, with potentially veteran depth. The team still has Cordarrelle Patterson on the roster. Harris could fit well in Los Angeles’ gap scheme offense, and Dobbins saw a lot of success working in it last year in his first year under Jim Harbaugh.
Dobbins ran for 905 yards and nine touchdowns on just 195 carries, and if Harris can put up that level of efficiency, he’ll be a good signing for the Chargers. The knock against him has always been his efficiency, as he’s never averaged more than 4.1 yards per carry, but going to a team like the Chargers with a scheme that fits his rushing style could lead to an uptick in production.
We’ll see if the Chargers can ultimately complete the deal, but all signs point to Harris heading to LA, closer to where he grew up in the Bay Area.
