After the 2020 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers were at an impasse at running back. They’d let James Conner walk in free agency, and what remained in Anthony McFarland, Jaylen Samuels and Benny Snell was far from special.
Although the role of a running back was vastly different, and it was considered a risk rolling the dice on one in the first round, that’s precisely what Pittsburgh did. With the 24th overall pick, the Steelers took who some perceived as the best in the running back class in Harris.
Right out of the gate, Harris was a stalwart performer. As a rookie leading the league in touches, Harris put up 1,200 yards rushing — surpassing Franco Harris’ record of 1,055 set in 1972. He added 467 receiving yards and finished with 10 total touchdowns on the season. His next two seasons were much the same, with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and 18 more scores.
The knocks on Harris remain his lack of vision and yard per carry. He hovered at the 4.0 average in 2023 but fell below in 2021 and 2022.
In Harris’ second season, the Steelers signed undrafted free agent Jaylen Warren, and before too long, the two were nearly splitting touches.
Both are in the final years of their contracts, with Warren’s potential exit made more tricky by restricted free agency.
By not picking up Harris’ incredibly team-friendly $6.97 million fifth-year option in May, Pittsburgh appeared to say all it needed to. Harris doesn’t seem to be part of the team’s future plans. But as any good general manager does, Omar Khan keeps options open, saying that the non-move doesn’t preclude them from signing Harris to a long-term deal.
No matter how you slice it, while Najee Harris hasn’t lived up to his draft position, he’s been a serviceable back. The hot-and (mostly)cold offensive line hasn’t done him any favors, but we’ll see if that changes in 2024.
