LATROBE, Pa. — A year ago, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris arrived at Saint Vincent College for training camp eager to add his voice to a growing chorus of disgruntled ball carriers.
The crux of his argument was that, on the football field, running backs are treated like valuable assets who are essential for success. But at the negotiating table, Harris felt ball carriers weren’t receiving the same level of respect, as teams have become increasingly unwilling to hand out guaranteed money or multiyear deals to players at the position.
Harris reiterated those remarks on Monday as the Steelers came into Latrobe, but there was a big difference this time around: Harris is personally feeling the effects of the shifting running back market.
When questioned about the impending fifth-year option over the offseason, general manager Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin showered Harris with compliments. However, the team chose to reject the option in May when it came time to take action.
“I was disappointed for a minute,” Harris said Wednesday, speaking publicly about the decision for the first time. “But it’s nothing really where me sitting around being disappointed for too long would do anything to help me out. It is what it is. You just gotta keep pushing and knowing that coming out here, doing what’s best for the team and having a good year is what’s most important right now.”
The Steelers’ official position at the time was that before extending Harris, they wanted to see how he performed in coordinator Arthur Smith’s new scheme. In a similar response, Harris was asked what the team had told him and said, “They do not know where the offensive is headed.”
Purchasing Harris’ 2025 season option would have come with a $6.79 million, 100% guaranteed price tag for the Steelers. Rather, the teams have moved into an ambiguous phase where Harris may be playing his last season in Pittsburgh.
Harris declared that he would “most definitely” be open to a long-term contract extension with the Steelers. However, he claimed that no serious talks about a sale had taken place and that he is aware of the business aspect of the situation.
“I like it here in Pittsburgh,” Harris said. “I like Coach T. Mr. Rooney. Omar. Even Kevin Colbert when he was here. It’s a good city. Obviously the people here are nice and are welcoming.
“But it’s a business. It comes and goes. I’ve been around this stuff my whole life. What I always take from it is I’ve been in the driver’s seat of this and God’s been steering it. Wherever he stops the car is wherever I’m working at. Whether it’s here or somewhere else, by all means, I’m going to do everything I can for that team. That’s just the mindset you have to have with this sport.”
When asked if this dynamic provides him with any additional drive, Harris cut the subject short.
“I already have motivation,” the 26-year-old said. “I don’t need somebody to tell what I can or can’t do. That doesn’t motivate me or anything. I already had my motivation since I was a kid. It’s nothing new to me.”
It is difficult to evaluate Harris for his first three seasons, regardless of whether you use data or movies. He is had slow beginnings in each of the last two seasons. Through the first eight weeks of 2022, Harris averaged just 45.1 rushing yards per game (38th in the league) and 3.3 yards per carry (51st). During the first eight weeks of the previous season, he only averaged 44.7 rushing yards per game (ranked 24th) and 3.7 yards per carry (30th).
Nevertheless, just three players have amassed more rushing yards than Harris (3,269, since he entered the league in 2021). In the second half of the season (starting in Week 9) he leads the league in rushing with 2,116 while carrying the ball 514 times, which is a league high. Over the previous three seasons, only Derrick Henry (848) has accumulated more carries than Harris (834) overall.
According to Harris, the running back position is not “devalued,” particularly in Pittsburgh, given the enormous workload.
“There’s games when I literally carry the offense giving me the ball,” Harris said. “It’s not really that (the running back position) is devalued. It’s when it’s time to pay you. I think that’s when they want to devalue the position.”
In Harris’ defense, he was part of an offensive scheme that was quarterbacked by Kenny Pickett and directed by Matt Canada that was incredibly incompetent. Additionally, he was playing behind a line so thin that, over the previous two seasons, the Steelers felt compelled to bench four of the five starters. However, it is also hard to overlook the fact that, over his first two seasons in the NFL, Jaylen Warren, Harris’ backup, has averaged a solid 5.1 yards per carry, making him the second-most effective running back in the league.
Given that many of those justifications are now gone, this will be a telling season for Harris in many ways. The addition of second-round center Zach Frazier and first-round tackle Troy Fautanu has greatly strengthened the offensive line. These improvements, together with Smith’s shown ability to plan effective rushing attacks, ought to put Harris in a strong position for success.
It remains to be seen if Harris can take advantage of this dynamic to secure a stable income and if Pittsburgh or another city will offer him that next deal.
(Photo: Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)
