Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris has been outspoken about the current state of NFL running backs and their contracts. Harris was asked about it and he didn’t hesitate to speak on it again on Wednesday upon arriving at Steelers training camp.
Before offering a criticism of the league and how running back salaries are working out, Harris was sure to preface it by saying he has no issue with the Steelers front office, coaches or anyone else in the way he’s been treated.
Harris is walking a pretty fine line here. He is probably two seasons away from wanting a contract extension of his own to get him beyond his rookie deal. There’s no reason to believe the market for running backs will change and his outspokenness could be something the front office takes into consideration going forward.
Through two seasons, Harris has touched the football 694 times for 2,930 yards of offense and 20 touchdowns. That’s a heavy workload for a back so young. It is also a reason so many backs struggle to get what they believe are fair contracts. Teams want to work backs into the ground and when the contract is due, feel like running back is the most easily replaceable position on the team.
Najee Harris is concerned about what running backs are getting paid across the NFL but he has no issue with the way the Steelers are treating him (as told to @tribjoerutter!) pic.twitter.com/DvzEhgdKBZ
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) July 26, 2023
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