One of the biggest storylines this offseason in regard to the Pittsburgh Steelers was that they declined the fifth-year option of running back Najee Harris. The other big storylines for the Steelers were the two quarterbacks that they brought in, something that caught the eyes of Harris.
Whether it was an endorsement of his new teammates or a shot at his former quarterback, Harris seemed to like what the Steelers did in the offseason and said that he feels good heading into the season.
“Feeling good man. We did good this offseason,” Harris said in an interview with FANIMO. “Obviously we picked up our two quarterbacks so we are excited about it. We think we’re gonna have a lot of good things happening this year.”
Regarding his fifth-year option, the Steelers did not want to take on his cap hit on that option. Gerry Dulac noted that the team is not dissatisfied with Harris and will likely try to extend him on a short-term deal. Steelers general manager Omar Khan said something similar earlier this offseason.
“It was a business decision we had to make….just because we didn’t pick it up doesn’t exclude us from doing something with Najee,” Khan said.
At the team’s OTAs in May, Mike Tomlin spoke on the situation and stated that the reason they declined the option was not based off of Harris’ production rather that of the shelf life of running backs.
“It could reflect a lot of things, but there’s probably some depth to those waters,” Tomlin said at OTAs. “Sometimes, it’s position-related, and things of that nature. There’s a business component of this and of all decisions that we make. There’s layers to it. I’m not going to try to characterize it in simplicity. That would probably be inappropriate.”
Harris skipped OTAs and was a limited participant in the team’s mandatory minicamp. Tomlin backed his running back and said that that was fine due to his familiarity with Harris. He also said that it gives him a chance to learn about other players a little bit more.
“Not anything that’s going to be an issue regarding health,” Tomlin said. “You guys know my approach man, Cam Heyward didn’t take any snaps today either, is another example of it. I know a lot about some of those guys. I know less about some of these others. And so, I like to focus my energies on those that are working and not those that are moving out of the way at times to see others.”
Regardless, Harris is about to run behind probably the best offensive line of his career in 2024. With the Steelers rebuild of the offensive line seemingly completed, if Harris can continue improving, a short-term extension is not out of the possibilities for Harris and the Steelers.
22 • Najee Harris, Running Back, Alabama
6-foot-1, 242 pounds, 26 years old, 4th Season
Acquired: The Steelers drafted Najee Harris with the 24th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft after a stellar career at the University of Alabama.
Last Year: In his third season in the league, Najee Harris started all 17 games for as many years in a row. He rushed for his highest yards per carry of his career (4.1) while totaling 1,035 yards on 255 carries. He rushed for a career-high eight touchdowns but failed to score through the air for the first time of his career.
In the Steelers playoff game against the Bills, Harris rushed for just 37 yards on 12 carries.
Career: The Steelers drafted Najee Harris in the first round of the 2021 Draft after the team decided to move on from James Connor. Harris played his first NFL season as Ben Roethlisberger played his last. The two created a chemistry that resembled the one Roethlisberger had with Le’Veon Bell. Harris tallied a career-high 307 rushing attempts for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns. He also was a staple in the passing attack as he hauled in 74 receptions for 467 yards and three receiving touchdowns.
Harris scored his first career NFL touchdown in the team’s Week 4 game against the Green Bay Packers. In that game, Harris notched 15 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown. He followed that up by posting his first-career 100-yard rushing game the next week against the Denver Broncos. In Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns, Harris posted a career-high 188 rushing yards on 28 carries. He was selected to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2021.
Harris opened the season without feeling 100% in terms of his health as he injured his foot in the team’s third preseason game. Regardless, Harris powered through and did not miss any games due to the injury but it did noticeably affect his play. After the team’s Week 9 bye, Harris looked like a different running back. In Week 11, Harris rushed for 99 yards, his highest total to that point, against the New Orleans Saints. The following week, Harris posted 90 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals. He recorded a season-high 111 rushing yards in the team’s Week 17 game against the Baltimore Ravens when he also caught the game-winning touchdown from Kenny Pickett.
In 2022, Harris put up 272 carries for 1,034 yards and seven rushing touchdowns. He added 41 catches for 229 yards and three receiving touchdowns.
In total, Harris has rushed for 3,269 yards and 22 touchdowns while adding another six touchdowns through the air. He has started all 51 games since entering the league in 2021.
| Year | GP | GS | Carries | Yards | AVG | Rush TDs | Receptions | Rec. Yards | Rec. TDs |
| 2021 | 17 | 17 | 307 | 1,200 | 3.9 | 7 | 74 | 467 | 3 |
| 2022 | 17 | 17 | 272 | 1,034 | 3.8 | 7 | 41 | 229 | 3 |
| 2023 | 17 | 17 | 255 | 1,035 | 4.1 | 8 | 29 | 170 | 0 |
College: Najee Harris starred as a running back at Antioch High School in California and scored 98 total touchdowns before committing to the University of Alabama as a five-star recruit. As a freshman, Harris appeared in 14 games but played in a limited role due to a couple of other future NFL players being in front of him on the depth chart. Regardless, Harris still tallied 61 carries for 370 yards and three touchdowns. He also added six receptions for 45 yards.
Harris saw his role expand in his sophomore season but still entered the season as the third running back on the roster. By the end 0f the season, Harris managed to finish with the second-most rushing yards. He finished the season with 117 carries for 783 yards and four touchdowns.
In 2019, Harris assumed the full-time starting running back for the Crimson Tide and had a breakout season. He recorded 209 carries for 1,224 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. Through the air, Harris hauled in 27 receptions for 304 yards and seven receiving touchdowns. Following the season, Harris was named All-SEC Second Team by the Associated Press and the conference’s coaches.
Harris decided to go back to school for his senior season and became one of the most storied players in Alabama history. In the 2020 season, Harris carried a career-high 251 times for 1,466 yards and an FBS-leading 26 touchdowns. He also added 43 receptions for 425 yards and four receiving touchdowns. In addition to leading the NCAA in rushing touchdowns, he also led the NCAA in total scrimmage yards with 1,891 yards. Following the season, Harris was named a Unanimous All-American and earned All-SEC First Team honors, while winning the Doak Walker Award.
In total, Harris finished his collegiate career as the school’s all-time leader for total career touchdowns (57), rushing touchdowns (46), and career rushing yards (3,843), while finishing second in career scrimmage yards (4,624).
| Year | GP | Carries | Rush Yards | Rush TDs | Receptions | Rec. Yards | Rec. TDs |
| 2017 | 14 | 61 | 370 | 3 | 6 | 45 | 0 |
| 2018 | 15 | 117 | 783 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| 2019 | 13 | 209 | 1,224 | 13 | 27 | 304 | 7 |
| 2020 | 13 | 251 | 1,466 | 26 | 43 | 425 | 4 |
Salary cap and future: Najee Harris is entering the final year of his standard four-year rookie contract. He will cost $4.15 million against the Steelers’ 2024 cap space. Of that $4.15 million, he is owed $2.44 million in base salary and $1.71 million in a prorated bonus.
Harris is signed with the team through the end of the 2024 season as the team declined his fifth-year option earlier this offseason.
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