Could Najee Harris want to leave the Pittsburgh Steelers?
Pittsburgh — The Pittsburgh Steelers and running back Najee Harris are at a crossroads in their professional relationship this spring, as the deadline to pick up the former first-round pick’s fifth-year option approaches. The Steelers have a little over two weeks to decide if they want to exercise their option to keep Harris under contract for an extra year beyond his standard rookie contract, but Brian Batko, Steelers beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, speculated that Harris may hope the Steelers do not pick up the option.
“There’s little doubt he despises losing. He was a part of a lot of success in college at Alabama, but he hasn’t had the same postseason highs in Pittsburgh. Harris has the desire to win and the determination to prepare to win, but whether the Steelers reward him for his efforts remains to be seen,” Batko said. “That’s if Harris wants his option year picked up. He’s a West Coast man through and through, and if given the opportunity to enter the open market a season earlier, he may try to land that coveted second deal closer to home.
Harris grew up in Antioch, California, about a 90-minute drive northeast of the Golden Gate Bridge, before attending Alabama to play college basketball. That implies he may be offered a roster place by the 49ers, Broncos, Seahawks, Raiders, or one of the Los Angeles teams.
If the Steelers choose to exercise Harris’ fifth-year option and he does not want to play in Pittsburgh for another season, things might get sticky. It’s a team option, not a player option, so Harris would have to hold out and demand a trade if he doesn’t want to stay with the team on his fifth-year option.
Since being picked in 2020, Harris has been an effective player for the Steelers. Harris rushed for 3,269 yards and 22 touchdowns in his first three seasons. He produced career highs in running touchdowns and yards per carry in 2023, with young star Jaylen Warren emerging as Harris’ backfield companion.
However, Warren’s emergence as one half of an ultra-productive running back combination has some believing that Harris’ $6.79 million cap price on the fifth-year option – now the seventh-highest among running backs – may not be worth it.
“It’s tough out there these days for a running back,” he said. “Teams frequently run their wheels off before moving on to the next pick in the draft. Or they uncover an undrafted gem like Warren, lowering the expense of a position that is heavily reliant on external elements like scheme, offensive line quality, and a passing game to keep defenders at bay.”