The Pittsburgh Steelers are notorious for not negotiating contracts in-season. General Manager Omar Khan seemed to agree with the policy recently, which means any player looking for an extension will have to sign the papers before the opener against the Atlanta Falcons. The top priorities for the organization likely remain inking Pat Freiermuth to a new deal, while also figuring out how to land on common ground with veteran captain, Cameron Heyward. The running back spot is interesting, however. Najee Harris' fifth-year option was declined and Jaylen Warren will be a restricted free agent once the new league year begins in 2025.
Running backs don't have an impressive shelf life in the NFL. That has been the case for a long time now, which could lead one to believe that he Steelers made the business decision to say no to Harris' fifth-year option. Harris has 834 carries to his credit throughout his career. That is an insanely high number for a guy who has been in the league since 2021.
Harris is already on pace for 278 carries per season, which is 10 higher than the legendary Jerome Bettis had throughout his career. Pittsburgh sent a message when a decision was made to not welcome Harris back on a deal worth less than $7 million. That leaves the door wide open for someone such as Warren to be the feature back in the Steel City moving forward.
The Steelers' front office shocked thousands when the franchise extended Antonio Brown instead of Mike Wallace back in 2012. The situation isn't identical to what could transpire with Harris and Warren, but it might be smart for the organization to extend Warren to a team-friendly deal and allow Harris to earn every bit of his next paycheck from a team not named the Steelers.
Harris has been rather consistent since Pittsburgh selected him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. It's impressive to have three straight 1,000-yard seasons along with 22 touchdowns on the ground. For whatever reason however, Khan and co. didn't see it as necessary to lock his services in for a fifth year in 2025. There is a plan in place, and that might just be Warren.
Extending Warren before the 2024 season kicks off could potentially cause some controversy, especially because he is a restricted free agent following his third professional campaign. On the argumentative side, if he performs even better than expected in an Arthur Smith-led offense, his team could expect a little bit more when negotiations come around in the future.
The Steelers would have picked up Harris' fifth-year option if it made sense to pay a ball-carrier the expected $6.79 million in 2025. Based on Harris' production and the new contract inked by Rhamondre Stevenson, one would expect that a top-of-the-line running back would collect at least $9 million. There's absolutely an explanation as to why Harris might not be back moving forward, and Warren could be the reason why.
Steelers Will Need Top-Notch Running Back In Arthur Smith Offense
Pittsburgh's offensive unit is going to attempt to run the ball down opponents' throats. If Harris isn't going to be around after 2024 and the organization knows that, it would make too much sense to discuss an early extension with a promising, young and hungry player like Warren. It would be a slap in the face to Harris, but business is business.
