Ben Roethlisberger Tells Steelers 'Low Ball' Najee Harris

Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger opined on the impending free agency of one of the team's running backs.

Dec 21, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) rushes during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Najee Harris, with 1,007 yards and five touchdowns under his belt so far this year, is poised to hit the free agent market as one of the top running backs available in the upcoming offseason.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger doesn't believe the team's front office should offer a blank check in hopes of retaining Harris, however, instead stating that he'd try and re-sign him at a discount.

"There's gonna be a lot of questions up there for [Najee Harris], what they want to do there," Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin podcast. "If I'm a GM and I have the team first, I'm trying to low-ball him. See what's the least amount of money I can offer to keep him here."

Roethlisberger isn't pushing a ground-breaking negotiating concept, as organizations are always looking for the best value when it comes to putting together their rosters, but it's interesting nonetheless that he'd make those comments about a former teammate.

A first-round pick out of Alabama in 2021, Harris ranks fifth in the NFL with 4,276 rushing yards while tying for the second-most attempts (1,085) at the position since his rookie campaign.

The 26-year-old has profiled as a prototypical workhorse back with the Steelers and crossed over the 1,000-yard plateau in each of his four seasons in the league, but the team seemingly signaled that it was ready to part ways with Harris upon declining his fifth-year option.

Though he's remained productive from a pure numbers perspective, his efficiency does leave something to be desired. On the flip side, however, there aren't any clear-cut options out there that would represent an upgrade over Harris.

Players such as Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs have all thrived this season after leaving their original teams and cashing in on the open market. Perhaps Harris could join that group as the league continues to do a 180 and prioritizes paying running backs once again, which in theory could entice the Steelers to pony up in order to hang onto him.

With Jaylen Warren set to reach restricted free agency, Pittsburgh is in danger of losing both members of its backfield tandem in 2025.

Roethlisberger also acknowledged that fact, stating that his preference would be for Harris to return to the Steelers and keep things as they currently are.

"I think it's important to have him here," Roethlisberger said. "I think he's a guy that's developing into a good leader on this team. I think he's a guy that's a good one-two punch with [Jaylen] Warren. So I think that's important, to try to keep him around."

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