The Pittsburgh Steelers had a straightforward chance this offseason to secure running back Najee Harris for the 2025 NFL season but chose not to. However, Steelers general manager Omar Khan indicated that this decision doesn’t necessarily imply that Harris won’t remain with Pittsburgh beyond the 2024 season.
“It was a business decision that we had to make by May 2,” Khan stated during an interview on Thursday on KDKA-FM in Pittsburgh. “But Najee is fantastic to have around here. I admire Najee both as a player and as a person. Just because we didn’t exercise the option doesn’t mean we won’t work out something long-term with Najee. I hope Najee has a long career here in Pittsburgh. He represents us exceptionally well on and off the field. It was just a decision we had to make at this time, and we felt it was the right choice for everyone involved. But I have a great deal of affection for Najee and would love to see him here for the long haul.”
Selected as the 24th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Najee Harris signed a four-year, $13.047 million contract with the Steelers.
Every first-round draft pick agrees to a four-year deal with a team option for a fifth season. However, this option must be exercised before the player enters their fourth season. For the 2021 first-round picks, this deadline was May 2 at 3 p.m. CDT.
If exercised, the fifth-year option would have tied Najee Harris to Pittsburgh for the 2025 season, guaranteeing him a salary of $6.79 million. This figure is determined by averaging the salaries of the third through 20th highest-paid running backs over the previous five seasons.
In 2024, Najee Harris is set to earn $2.439 million, which places him 30th among running backs for the season.
When asked during his radio interview how Najee Harris reacted to the Steelers declining the option, Omar Khan replied, “I’ll respect our private conversation, but I’ll say this: he understands that entering this final year doesn’t rule out the possibility of long-term business with us.”
Khan was questioned about Harris’ response as the running back has opted not to disclose it. During Pittsburgh’s mandatory three-day minicamp this week, Harris turned down all interview requests and did not actively participate in practices.
Coach Mike Tomlin addressed Harris’ absence from practice on Wednesday, stating, “There’s no health issue whatsoever that’s going to be a concern. You know my approach; Cam Heyward didn’t take any snaps today either, as another example. I have a good understanding of some of those guys; others, less so. I prefer to focus my attention on those who are actively working rather than those who step aside at times.”
A defensive lineman who has spent 13 seasons with Pittsburgh, Cam Heyward is in the last year of his contract and had stayed away from the Steelers’ offseason activities until this week, seeking an extension.
Pittsburgh concluded its offseason program last Thursday. The team will reconvene at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, on July 24 for training camp.
In 2023, Harris became just the 18th player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons. Over his NFL career, Harris has accumulated 834 rushing attempts, gaining 3,269 yards and scoring 22 touchdowns. He has also made 144 receptions for 866 yards and six touchdowns.
Only three other players in NFL history have matched Harris’s combination of rushing yards and receptions in their first three seasons: Hall of Famers Edgerrin James and LaDainian Tomlinson, and former Auburn standout William Andrews.
A two-time 1,000-yard rusher for Alabama, Harris earned unanimous All-American recognition, won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back and set an SEC single-season touchdown record for the Crimson Tide’s unbeaten CFP national-championship team in 2020.
