After being selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Najee Harris made history by becoming the first player to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons with the franchise.
Nevertheless, the Alabama product’s future in Pittsburgh remains very much in question, with the Steelers having declined the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, according to ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. As a result, Harris is slated to become a free agent following the 2024 season.
Originally selected with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2021 draft, Harris earned Pro Bowl honors in his rookie season, rushing for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns, while adding 74 receptions for 467 yards and three receiving touchdowns. Despite his initial success, the Antioch, California, native proved less effective in his second and third seasons, rushing for 1,034 yards and seven touchdowns in 2022 and 1,035 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023.
While Harris has started all 51 regular-season games in his NFL career, his ineffectiveness has paved the way for Jaylen Warren to become a more regular part of Pittsburgh’s offense. Playing behind Harris in 2023, Warren rushed for 784 yards and four touchdowns, while adding 61 receptions and 370 yards.
Having traded 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Steelers will look to get their offense back on track with the additions of quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields (whose fifth-year option they also declined). Now set to enter the final season of his rookie contract, it will be interesting to see how Harris factors into those plans and what it will mean for his now-impending free agency.
[ESPN]
