The Pittsburgh Steelers put running back Najee Harris is a very difficult position this offseason. The team declined his fifth-year option meaning he is on the last year of his rookie deal. We don’t know if this was the team’s idea or maybe he did it to himself. We don’t know the truth. Either way, Harris heads into the 2024 season with plenty of unknowns.
But for Harris, his top priority this season has to be to maximize his production and hope he can parlay it into a big contract. But will he get the chance?
On paper, the Pittsburgh offense looks more like the 1994 Steelers than the 2024 Steelers. Lots of power running and grinding it out behind a big, athletic offensive line. Perfect for Harris, right?
Maybe. Without knowing why Harris isn’t getting a fifth year we can’t know for sure just how much he will get the football in 2024. The wildcard is fellow running back Jaylen Warren. Warren has proven to be more than capable of being a feature back and is a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
There are really two ways this could play out. The Steelers might just run Harris into the ground, getting all they can from him and then send him into free agency with four straight 1,000-yard seasons but a lot of miles on his tires. Or the Steelers lean into Warren more, limiting Harris’ production before he hits free agency. We love Harris and hate the idea of him playing anywhere else and hope he doesn’t go down without a fight.
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