Heading into the 2024 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers and running back Najee Harris sit at a crossroad.
The Steelers declined to pick up Harris’ fifth-year option earlier in the offseason, meaning that he is set to be a free agent after 2024 unless a new deal is agreed made between team and player.
Despite declining the fifth-year option, Steelers general manager Omar Khan said that the team remained open to working out a deal that would keep Harris in Pittsburgh long term.
On Thursday, a deal between the New England Patriots and running back Rhamondre Stevenson gave a blueprint for what that contract could look like.
Stevenson and Harris both entered the NFL out of the 2021 Draft, and sport similar builds as workhorse, every-down running backs. Both had stand-out years in 2022, which serves as a good barometer of comparison between them, given that Stevenson was splitting carries in 2021 and had his 2023 season cut short due to injury.
Looking at the numbers from 2022, you can see the similarities.
| Player | Carries | Rush Yards | Touchdowns | Yards Per Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Najee Harris | 272 | 1,034 | 10 | 60.8 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | 210 | 1,040 | 6 | 61.2 |
With Stevenson and the Patriots providing a starting point for potential negotiations between Harris and the Steelers, the next question becomes whether or not such a deal is one Pittsburgh would be interested in.
Chances are that will largely depend on how things play out this year. Given the cheap deals that the Steelers got to sign quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, there is certainly a bit of extra money to play with in the near-future.
That said, fellow running back Jaylen Warren is younger, has taken less hits, and is also due for an extension, and thus Harris might be left on the outside looking in.