Former Steelers RB Najee Harris Exposed For Being 'Miserable' At The End Of His Time In Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers needed to address several positions entering the 2025 NFL Draft. The front office did a good job of recognizing areas that needed updating and used that knowledge to have an all around solid draft. One key spot that needed some help was at running back. Kenneth Gainwell signed with the organization on a one-year deal, but an addition was expected to come in the middle rounds as well. General Manager Omar Khan ended up selecting University of Iowa ball-carrier, Kaleb Johnson. He will have a legitimate shot to be involved in the offense early on in his professional career.

The reason that the running back room needed to be added to was because of Najee Harris' departure in free agency. The former first-round pick's fifth-year option was declined by the organization, which led to him signing with the Los Angeles Chargers once the new league year began.

While Harris had successful NFL seasons with the Steelers, his stats were always a little bit overrated. He was able to run for over 1,000 yards in all four years, but barely was able to average four yards per carry. He was given the ball a ton, which allowed him to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark, but he wasn't nearly as dynamic as a first-round ball-carrier should be.

Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently hosted a fan chat to discuss the draft and other Steelers related topics. Someone mentioned that allowing Harris to walk in free agency can now be seen as foolish because Johnson isn't going to be that good. The reporter disagreed and even dropped a little nugget in there that speaks volumes about Pittsburgh's decision to let Harris leave.

"Najee is 27, Kaleb Johnson is 21," Batko wrote. "Najee never had a 40-yard run in the NFL. Najee would've been guaranteed $6.7 million this upcoming season on his fifth-year option. Najee seemed completely miserable here most of the time by the end. Does that make sense?"

In Harris' defense, the Steelers' offense was pretty brutal for the majority of his career in the Steel City. The quarterback situation was nearly always in flux for him, and the offensive line has been rebuilt in the last couple of seasons, leading to some inconsistencies. It still is unfortunate for a reporter to acknowledge what many fans were noticing from far away. The running back simply had no interest in remaining in Pittsburgh and was flat out miserable at the end of his tenure.

It will be odd to see Harris playing in a different colored uniform in 2025, but the split was likely best for both parties. Pittsburgh didn't want to pay him an easy $6.7 million in his fifth professional season, which speaks volumes about how the decision-makers viewed his future in the NFL. There's a possibility that Khan and co. also realized that it seemed as if the running back no longer wanted to play for the Steelers.

Harris was probably happy to head to Los Angeles where he would be the featured back, but the Chargers selected Omarion Hampton with the draft's 22nd overall selection. That's not exactly something that would make a fifth-year player excited, especially when he is only playing on a one-year prove-it kind of deal. It will be interesting to see how Harris acts out West.

Steelers Made The Right Decision On Harris

If Harris was miserable in Pittsburgh, and the team knew that, it was absolutely the right decision to decline his fifth-year option and part ways in 2025. It will make that breakup even sweeter if Johnson turns out to be a stud during his rookie season and in the future. Batko's analysis of Harris' attitude should lead to fans understanding why the team may have let him walk.