The Pittsburgh Steelers have undergone a lot of changes throughout the 2025 offseason. Free agents have departed Pittsburgh and went elsewhere, while the Steelers have also been able to make some meaningful additions. Some of the biggest departures have been Najee Harris and Dan Moore Jr., who were both drafted in 2021 and were each starters for four seasons. Other players that were not brought back by Pittsburgh include Elandon Roberts, Donte Jackson, Justin Fields, and Russell Wilson.
Harris was the organization's first-round pick back in 2021, and he has been the starting running back ever since. He has been a model of durability as he did not miss a single start during his time in Pittsburgh, and his consistency was unmatched as he rushed for over 1,000 yards in all four seasons. It became clear that he was not a part of the team's future plans when the organization declined his fifth-year option ahead of the 2024 season, and it didn't seem like there was ever any negotiations going on between the two sides after the season ended.
Harris went and signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, which seemed like a good match before the pairing was even made. The running back made a splash upon arriving in Los Angeles, as he threw several jabs at Pittsburgh during his introductory press conference. Harris and Pat Freiermuth were always close as they were in the same draft class. He spoke about Harris leaving during a recent episode of The Christian Kuntz Podcast.
"Me and Naj, we were like wicked close," Freiermuth said. "He would come over every single week for dinner, Jill would cook us dinner and stuff. Not having that routine and tradition and stuff, sitting on the plane after a tough loss talking to him, venting. Experiencing the highs and lows that we've had in our career. I'm happy for him and his new opportunity; now I didn't agree with the way he went out, and I called him about it and we talked, but, you know."
It was clear that Freiermuth and Harris were always close throughout the time they spent together in Pittsburgh. They have been two of the leaders of the offense ever since being drafted, and they formed a tight bond off of the field. The tight end did not agree with the comments that Harris made after leaving Pittsburgh, but he made sure to call him to discuss the issue.
Harris spoke to the media in Los Angeles and threw some shade at the facilities in Pittsburgh, while also making some snide comments about the offense. The running back has always been blunt and honest with the media. He likely did not mean to demean the Steelers organization, he was just speaking about how he felt.
The running back never quite lived up to his first-round label, which was unfortunate because he was beloved by many fans in Pittsburgh. The Chargers and Steelers are to play one another in 2025, and it will be a matchup with a ton of intensity as Harris will take on his former team.
Steelers Taking A New Approach At Running Back In 2025
Jaylen Warren burst onto the scene in 2022 as an undrafted free agent, and he has been a good piece of the offense ever since. His emergence was the first inkling fans should have had that Harris might not be in Pittsburgh past his rookie deal, and that is exactly what happened.
Warren will carry the bulk of the workload in 2025 at the running back position, but the team also signed Kenneth Gainwell in free agency. The Steelers have done their due diligence on the deep running back class in the 2025 draft as well, and Pittsburgh could pick a player at the position as high as the first-round.
