NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah thinks it would be wise for the Pittsburgh Steelers to move on from running back Najee Harris. Harris has never been known to be a speedster, his longest career run is only 32 yards. Jeremiah thinks Harris just lacks the explosiveness that the Steelers need in Arthur Smith’s offense.
“They’re just not fast enough. Najee Harris, I know he’s a fan favorite because he’s tough, falls forward, and he’s physical,” Jeremiah said on the Shek Show. “He’s got no juice. If you’re going to be a team reliant on the run game, you’ve got to be able to pop some explosive runs. That’s not 10-15 yards, that’s 50 or 60 yards.”
During his season-ending press conference, Mike Tomlin praised Harris for his consistency over his four years in Pittsburgh. On the surface, it sounded like a departing salute.
“Naj has had an awesome four years here,” Tomlin said. “I understand that he is a free agent. Again, it’s at the very beginnings of that process in terms of us assessing what we’re capable of doing or what we desire to do. And I’d imagine it’s the same thing from a player’s perspective.
“But rest assured, we’ve had a good experience with him and obviously the ridiculous consistency in his performance in terms of producing four straight 1,000-yard seasons speaks for itself.”
Harris will have the chance to test his value on the open market this offseason with his rookie deal expiring.
According to Spotrac, Harris is projected to receive a three-year, $27.5 million deal on the open market. That would put the 26-year-old’s per year average at about $9.2 million, which would be the eighth highest in the NFL, behind Cardinals’ James Conner ($9.5M per year) and in front of Lions’ David Montgomery ($9.125M per year).
The Steelers could still decide to bring back Harris for the 2025 season and beyond. President Art Rooney II recently left the door open to a potential return.
“Najee’s a good player and we’ll evaluate whether we can bring him back. He’s going to have choices, too. It’s a position that is important to us,” Rooney said. “Whether it’s Najee or somebody else, it’s going to be an important position.”
However, that still seems very unlikely after the team declined Harris’ $6.79 million fifth-year option in May. Other teams know it, too, as some players have already begun recruiting Harris.
So where could Najee Harris land in free agency? Former NFL running back and fellow Bay Area native Maurice Jones-Drew thinks Denver would be a perfect fit for Harris.
“The Broncos haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since Phillip Lindsay in 2019. Harris, meanwhile, became the third player in the past 20 seasons to hit the 1K mark in each of his first four NFL campaigns (joining Adrian Peterson and Chris Johnson),” Jones-Drew wrote. “Sean Payton’s offense has steadily improved over his first two seasons in Denver, and the future looks bright with Bo Nix at quarterback. What’s missing now is a run game. Harris is a physical, downhill rusher who consistently breaks tackles. That’s the type of back Payton (and Nix) would welcome.”
The Broncos are in need of a bell-cow running back, so that does seem like a realistic possibility for Harris. The Las Vegas Raiders are another running back-needy team.
Raiders All-Pro edge rusher Maxx Crosby is hoping Harris will join him in the Silver and Black. Harris is from the Bay Area, so Crosby thinks it could be an ideal fit for him to come back to the West Coast.
“Why not? He’s from the Bay. Najee’s a baller,” Crosby said on The Rush With Maxx Crosby podcast. “Anybody that could help when it comes to winning and being a culture guy, a leader, that’s the type of guy I want around. You’ve seen Najee, he’s played four years in the league and has had 1000 yards every season. That alone is impressive. He is a tough (expletive) and hard to tackle, too. I’d love to have a guy like Najee around. Selfishly, he could come to Vegas all day.”
Steelers Projected To Land Najee Harris' Replacement in New NFL Draft Projection
Among the many questions that face the Pittsburgh Steelers and head coach Mike Tomlin after a 10-7 season, the future at tailback is up in the air with Najee Harris expected to depart in free agency.
Harris, a former Alabama star, eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards in each of his first-four seasons. Touchdowns were hard to come by in 2024, however, as the former first-round pick totaled a career-low six scores.
Harris' fifth-year option was declined by the Steelers last spring, opening the door for a potential exit this offseason. However, that decision hasn't been made yet, and the franchise could elect to bring Harris back in the end, according to a report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
The Steelers are expected to return third-year running back Jaylen Warren, who finished behind Harris with 511 yards and a touchdown.
In NFL.com's latest mock draft from Chad Reuter, Pittsburgh does address the position with Harris "headed for free agency."
The Steelers are projected to use the No. 21 overall pick to select Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins, saving an opportunity to take a quarterback (Alabama's Jalen Milroe) for the second-round.
"Judkins' open-field burst, ability to read blocks and willingness to run through contact will make him a great fit for the Steelers -- and he's a nice outlet for quarterbacks out of the backfield," Reuter wrote. "Remember, Najee Harris is headed for free agency. I’m projecting Pittsburgh will take a quarterback in Round 2."
Judkins (6-foot, 219 pounds) helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship as a junior in 2024.
The former Ole Miss star exploded onto the scene with the Rebels in 2022, earning SEC Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-SEC honors after racking up 1,567 rushing yards with 16 touchdowns.
After posting 1,158 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns as a sophomore, Judkins elected to transfer to Ohio State under head coach Ryan Day. The Pike Road, Alabama, native earned Third-Team All-Big Ten honors for totaling 1,060 rushing yards with 14 touchdowns.
A proven ball-carrier, Judkins is also a threat as a receiver out of the backfield. He amassed 59 receptions for 442 yards with five touchdowns during his collegiate career.
Judkins is expected to have an opportunity to perform at the NFL combine from Feb. 27-March 2 before the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off from April 24-26 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
