4:28pm: Harris plans to meet with the Raiders next, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The Raiders have an unquestioned starter in 2025 sixth overall pick Ashton Jeanty, but Chris Collier and Dylan Laube are the only other running backs on their roster. Collier and Laube have combined for just 13 NFL carries.
4:04pm: Still recovering from a September 2025 Achilles tear, free agent running back Najee Harris is on the hunt for his next team. The former Steeler and Charger visited the Seahawks on Wednesday, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network relays.
While it is unclear when Harris will return to full strength, agent Doug Hendrickson posted a video of the 28-year-old “looking great” while running on a treadmill on Monday. Seattle has since become the first known team to show interest in Harris, whose next contract will fall short of the one-year, $5.25MM deal he signed with the Chargers last March. The investment did not work out for Los Angeles, which got just three games, 15 carries and 61 yards from the normally durable and productive Harris.
Before joining the Chargers, Harris spent his first four years in Pittsburgh and did not miss a game. The 2021 first-rounder from Alabama eclipsed 250 carries and 1,000 rushing yards in each of his seasons with the Steelers. With a 3.9 YPC average, Harris wasn’t especially efficient, but he scored 34 touchdowns as a Steeler (28 rushing, six receiving). Aside from a 74-catch rookie campaign, the 6-foot-1, 242-pounder averaged around 35 receptions per year in Pittsburgh.
As the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Seahawks’ roster is light on question marks. However, there is a need at running back, where the Seahawks lost former starter and Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker to the Chiefs in free agency. The Seahawks may also go some portion of next season without new No. 1 RB Zach Charbonnet, who tore his ACL in a divisional-round win over the 49ers. Signing Harris would give them another back recovering from a serious injury. For now, free agent pickup Emanuel Wilson, George Holani and Cam Akers are among Seattle’s healthy backfield options.
Not bad cheap depth piece for Seattle or raiders. Could actually see him with Texans too
Both of these teams have a need for Harris, but to be honest, I’m not quite sure that I like his fit in an outside zone heavy scheme. Harris is best when running power inside, with the changeup being an outside zone play. The Steelers showed this with him under Smith-they kept trying to run on pitch or zone plays outside for some reason, and the results were middling much of the time. When they ran him downhill, especially with a blocker, the results were much better and Harris flourished.
Kubiak is probably a more adaptive mind than Smith is at this point, and Harris definitely fills a need for either team (and the Seahawks may very well change up their scheme more than we expect), but it seems that Harris is best suited for a more downhill power scheme than what we saw that offense run last year.
In Seattle, I think he would be expected to fill that Charbonnet role while he recovers from his injury. I expect Seattle to draft a RB at this point, given they don’t have a 1st and 2nd down back on the roster at all.
Yes, I’d expect Harris to as well, I just think that they’re different backs stylistically. I hope that if either of these teams sign him, they use Harris appropriately to maximize his effectiveness for them. Smith tried to run him outside and on pitches and other plays too often, even though his best strength is running inside on power type plays. It’s not that Harris can’t do that, he’s just much better at the latter than the former.
I think that the lack of interest by Seattle in the FA RBs, including their own, signals that they have identified and are prepared to draft a RB next month. It is very similar to last offseason when they had a clear need for a Left Guard but did not sign or show interest in available lineman through FA period.
I think that’s probably true. Honestly, it doesn’t seem like a bad idea.
Would love him on the raiders as long as he stops going back to Antioch 🧨
Washed. He was only mediocre to begin with
I wonder if Najee will be celebrating a new contract with fireworks 🙂