MARCH 11: In terms of base value, Harris will be tied to $5.25MM in 2025, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes. Incentives cover the rest of the contract. While this is more than the Chargers gave Dobbins last year, it certainly checks in as less than Harris was expected to command.
MARCH 10: The Chargers’ rumored interest in Najee Harris will produce an agreement. After four Steelers seasons, Harris is heading west on a one-year deal.
Harris will sign with Los Angeles’ AFC team on a contract worth up to $9.5MM, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets. A Bolts team that cut Gus Edwards and has not re-signed J.K. Dobbins will turn to Harris, who was the Steelers’ starting RB in each of their games since 2021.
This agreement comes hours after the Steelers placed a second-round RFA tender on Jaylen Warren. This will make the Harris three-year Harris change-of-pace option harder to pry away, but the Steelers will be in the running back market again now. Although the team was not believed to be out on Harris, not picking up his fifth-year option in 2024 provided a decent indication a 2025 separation would be acceptable.
A 2021 first-round pick out of Miami, Harris has played through injuries to start every game in his four-year career. After a 1,200-yard rookie season, Harris finished with 1,034, 1,035 and 1,043. Oozing consistency, Harris also does not bring much flash. Next Gen Stats rated him in the bottom third in rush yards over expected in 2022 and ’24, though the metric was oddly bullish on the between-the-tackles grinder in 2023.
Harris, 27, may well have a skillset that appears to Jim Harbaugh. The team did not see much from the player it previously sought as its power back — Edwards — but a newly run-oriented Bolts operation could generate plenty from Harris in 2025. Harris needing one-year deal does not bode well for his future value, however. Already accumulating 1,097 carries, the durable back will be set to log at least 200 more with the Bolts this season. That will wind his mileage to a potentially undesirable place come 2025.
Though, last year’s free agency showed teams willing to take chances on veterans at the position. Successful seasons already brought Saquon Barkley an extension and Aaron Jones a substantial raise. Derrick Henry, this generation’s RB outlier, also played himself into position for a Ravens pay bump after his 1,900-yard rushing season. Harris not being able to cash in now, after displaying durability and consistency, may be a worrying sign for his post-2025 earning potential.
I don’t think Harris is great or anything, but I think he’ll look better on a team better built and schemed for a power rushing attack.
Are you kidding?
Steelers ran at a 54% rate, 2nd most in the league
And rocked twin TE heavy packages as their default set
Najee is just a more expensive Gus Edwards
He is a really great guy, and runs super hard. But he just has no speed or cuts at all
Again, I’m not that big on Harris, but I think the Chargers line and Roman offense is probably better suited to put him in a position to succeed. Not to mention having a much better quarterback situation.
You also had Matt Canada and subpar oline play. You also had Kenny Pickett Mason Rudolph Justin Fields and Russell Wilson
Chargers have Jim Harbaugh and all pro caliber tackles in Slater and Alt. Plus decent starters in Johnson and Bozeman. Oh and Justin Herbert
Harris will be fine if healthy.
You could give Harris a lane the size of a 4 lane highway to run through .. he’s still only getting 4 yards
4 yards on 3 plays is a first down. Not sure what the problem is.
That he was the 40th worst RB in YPC , despite being 8th in carries
Happens when you run behind an oline ranked 27th. Wonder how he will do running behind an oline ranked 7th.
Steelers were bottom of the league in ybc/run at 1.1. Chargers had a much more respectable 1.5 putting them near top of the league.
Then give him 30 carries. At 4 yards that is 120 yards a game!
By that logic, the 39 RBs ahead of him in that category would run for 150-250 yards per game
But we all know that’s not reality, and najee is a one-dimensional power back with no breakaway speed and not a threat as a backfield receiver
It was night and day difference when Warren got carries compared to najee.
Warren avg 4.2 YPC while playing hurt all season
Warren was 4th in the NFL in 2023 with 5.2 YPC when he was healthy, a testament to voiding o-line excuses for najee
Lol yeah Jaylen Warrens 120 attempts.
Fyi, Steelers oline had a higher stuff percentage (plays where the back was stopped at line of scrimmage or behind) when warren was out there compared to Harris. Harris also averaged 4 yards a carry last year. Not far off of 4.2
Harris also had more 20+ yard runs(9) compared to Warren (1)
Harris also had more 30+ yard runs (2) compared to Warrn (0)
Harris also averaged more yards after contact (2.1) than Warren (1.9)
Lmao voiding the oline excuses. You did no such thing. You looked a severely smaller sample size and cherry picked the “good stats” while ignoring the bad stats.
You’re looking at 2024 stats where Warren was playing injured
I’m talking about 2023, where im very sure you will see a different dynamic in comparisons.
Regardless, after signing Kenneth Gainwell it seems the steelers are going with Warren as their RB1 in a committee
Ridiculous take.
Longest rush of his career…. 37 yards. He will hurdle anything in site but he won’t run away
4 yards on 3 plays is a first down.
No, it’s not. Maybe you want to say 4 yards per play is a first down after 3 plays. I’m so glad the Vikings DIDN’T sign him. He’s S L O W & has NO explosiveness!
Hopefully another team drafts Jeanty and Jerry is left without a RB again
Raiders
Maybe Pats
So… who is going to be the Steelers running back?
Ashton jeanty? Skattabo?
Jalen Warren?
There could be a half dozen starting running backs from this draft by their second year.
I’m wondering if they’ll be very tempted by Hampton at 21
Would hate to pass on a CB like Hairston or Will Johnson, or a Heyward replacement like Harmon, even a NT like Grant
It’s sketchy not having an R2 where a RB would be easy to find. Hopefully there’s someone they like there round 3. Agreed it’s a good class for RB
If there’s a difference making DT at 21 Pitt had to go there.
Maybe Henderson or Hampton too. RB heavy draft
Judkins, RJ Harvey, Kaleb Johnson, and Dylan Sampson are very promising looking, too.
Reasonable doubt that one of them falls to them R3 , but they’d better be ready to hold their breath or trade up
How much does JK Dobbins want? Steelers should grab him.
I’d rather cross my fingers and hope Judkins falls to the 3rd round
Oh, I think they should draft one, too…even if they sign a free agent RB.
I don’t watch college, but I’ve read this draft is deep in D linemen and RB’s. If so, I’d spend my first two picks on the D line to get the best I could while knowing I can still find a decent back later.
Dobbins is better than Harris.
Do you trust Dobbins will play more games than he misses?
Solid signing
The money going around is insane. 9.5 mill for a running back that doesn’t average 4 ypc is crazy
He did average 4 ypc.
He’s at 3.9 for his career…
It’s really not when he’s had a 1,000 yard season every year he’s been in the league.
And none were impressive at all
It doesn’t really matter how you feel about his career. Having a consistent 1,000 yard rusher matters quite a bit.
Not really at all lmao
Dobbins is the better player.
Harris went to Bama, didn’t he, not Miami?
Some once told me aj dillion will absolutely get you 3 yards when you need one. But he also will absolutely get you 3 yards when you need 4. Reminds me of harris.
Pretty big bargain for a guy you can count on to bruise the defense game in and game out and still end up around 4 ypc.
I get that fans of every team want some sort of hybrid between Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley but the shortsightedness of some posts is amazing
Those types of backs excel behind strong O-lines. I can’t name many guys who somehow were deemed “great” while running behind a weak line
I get that Warren’s quick burst ability made people here deem Najee as a bust, but letting him walk for a $5.2M contract was insanity
Give the kid a line and then complain