The Pittsburgh Steelers did not pick up the fifth-year option for starting running back Najee Harris, meaning he will be set to become a free agent following the 2024 season. But it sounds like the Steelers are still considering keeping him around.
During a recent interview on 93.7 The Fan, Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan revealed that there is still a chance the team could sign Najee Harris to a long-term contract extension before he even hits free agency even though the team did not pick up his fifth-year option.
“It was a business decision that we had to make by, I think, May 2,” Khan said according to Pro Football Talk. “But Najee’s awesome to have around here. Love Najee as a player and a person. And just because we didn’t pick it up, that doesn’t exclude us from doing something with Najee for the long term. I’d love to say Najee was here and had a long career in Pittsburgh. He really represents us well on the field and off the field. But it was one of those things we had to make a decision on. We just felt right now it was the right decision for everyone. But I love Najee and I would love to have him here long term.”
Khan said that he has made that point clear to Harris in their private conversations.
“He knows that just because we’re going into this with one year left, that doesn’t prevent us from doing business with him long-term,” Khan said.
We’ll have to see what happens, but this is a pretty surprising decision, considering Pittsburgh previously opted not to extend his rookie deal.
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