This offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers must decide on running back Najee Harris, and team owner Art Rooney II described it as a “key” choice on Monday.
By May 2, the Steelers will need to determine if they want to activate their fifth-year option on Harris’s $13.047 million, four-year rookie contract.
Harris will receive a salary guarantee of around $6.659 million for the 2025 season if Pittsburgh exercises its option. Following the 2024 season, the former Alabama All-American would be eligible for free agency if the Steelers choose not to exercise their option.
However, Pittsburgh has another option to prevent Harris from becoming a free agent following the 2020–21 campaign. Harris is qualified for a contract extension because he has participated in three seasons.
We’ll be working on that in addition to all the other things we have to do in the summer, Rooney stated. “A lot of thought and analysis goes into making those decisions.” As the draft in May draws nearer, that will be an important choice.
There is a vacancy in Pittsburgh as offensive coordinator, and Rooney stated that the new coach will have to put in effort to keep Jaylen Warren and Harris developing.
Harris caught 29 catches for 170 yards and ran for 1,035 yards and eight touchdowns on 255 carries in 2023. Warren caught 61 catches for 370 yards and ran for 784 yards and four scores on 149 touches.
Rooney remarked, “I think we have two good young running backs and a good rushing attack.” “On top of those, we must build.” ..
“It’s fantastic to see that our rushing attack, especially in the closing moments, reached the level we would have hoped for and looked like a two-headed monster at running back. This year, having two distinct back styles was advantageous to us. We want to build on that accomplishment and our ability to make the playoffs the next season, and those guys really helped us achieve that.
In his final press conference of the season, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin gave Harris another vote of confidence.
Harris remarked, “He’s been what we needed him to be.” “I saw a statistic that said how rare it is for him to have three straight seasons of 1,000 yards rushing. That only speaks to his dependability and availability, in my opinion. He has shown great stability.
Following his selection by the Steelers with the 24th overall choice in the 2021 NFL Draft, Harris made league history by being the 18th player to score 1,000 yards rushing in each of his first three seasons.
Harris is on an even shorter list with 3,269 rushes and 144 receptions. Only three other players in NFL history have accomplished those feats in their first three seasons: William Andrews, a former great at Auburn, and Edgerrin James, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Harris, an Alabama running back who has amassed 1,000 yards on two occasions, was named a unanimous All-American, took home the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s finest running back, and established an SEC single-season touchdown record for the Crimson Tide’s 2020 undefeated CFP national title squad.
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