How Najee Harris Can Secure Fifth-Year Option With Steelers

The breakdown is there for Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris.

It's hard to believe that Najee Harris is already 25 years old and entering his third season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Head coach Mike Tomlin talks regularly about the jump he expects from players at this stage, and the organization is surely expecting a lot from their former first-round pick back in 2021. They also have a pretty big decision to make next spring, whether or not to pick up Harris' fifth-year option with the club, making this upcoming season a pivotal one for both parties.

Before getting into what Harris needs to do in order to convince the Steelers to pick up his option and, in turn, secure himself a nice raise, it's important to understand what the option actually means. Each year, all of the first-round picks sign four-year contracts that come with a team option for the fifth year. After the player finishes their third season in the NFL, the club has to decide whether or not they want to pick up the option, with the deadline being sometime around the NFL Draft in early May.

The option year is fully guaranteed under the new collective bargaining agreement, but there are stipulations on cost. This article from overthecap.com explains the differences in an easy-to-understand manner. 

To sum it up:

• Multiple Pro Bowls appearances: The player is eligible for an option year equivalent to the cost  franchise tag for the position

• Single Pro Bowl appearance: The player is eligible for an option year equivalent to the cost of the transition tag for the position

• Playtime incentive (75% of snaps in two of the first three seasons, an average of 75% of snaps over three seasons, or 50% in all of their first three seasons): The player is eligible for an option year equivalent to the average of the 3rd-20th highest paid players for the position

• Basic (None of the above): The player is eligible for an option year equivalent to the average of the 3rd-25th highest-paid players for the position

In the case of Najee Harris, it's highly likely that he will meet the playtime incentive criteria, having played 84% and 66% of offensive snaps during his first two years with the Steelers. His Pro Bowl appearance in 2021 as an alternate does not count in this case because he was an alternate which is not recognized in the CBA. Here is a rough estimate of what Harris could potentially cost the Steelers on the cap in 2025 on his fifth-year option:

Pro Bowl Appearance: $11.65 Million
Playtime Incentive: $7.08 Million
Basic: $6.24 Million

Star running backs such as Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs are currently holding out for new deals, which could potentially drive these figures higher, but the running back market has been relatively stagnant over the past several seasons. Harris is only slated to make $1.85 million this upcoming season while holding a $3.56 million cap charge. Needless to say that he's staring at a pretty significant raise in the future. But what does he need to do in his third season to ensure he'll secure his payday?

Improved Efficiency

The main knock on Harris throughout the start of his professional career has been his inefficiency as a ball carrier, having finished below 4.0 yards per carry in both of his first two seasons. Of the 33 tailbacks to accumulate 150+ carries last season, Harris ranked 30th in expected points added per rush, according to Sports Info Solutions. There were times last season when his vision was rightfully called into question, and he can be a bit over-reliant on his lateral agility, causing him to stray from getting vertical quickly. 

However, there's the obvious elephant in the room that is difficult, if not nearly impossible, to ignore. Harris hasn't played with the greatest supporting cast up to this point in his career, either. His offensive line in 2021 was arguably the worst in the league, and while 2022 was certainly better, no one would have confused them for a good unit, either. A potential bright spot is that Harris did rank inside the top ten in forced missed tackles last season. The hope is that with a revamped offensive line featuring Isaac Seumalo, Broderick Jones, and also Darnell Washington, Harris won't have to do as much on his own, which will lead to better efficiency. 

Stay Healthy

Availability is the best ability, as they say. Harris has yet to miss an NFL game due to injury even despite already registering over 700 touches as a Steeler. Having said that, there was a foot injury that lingered into the regular season last year, causing the second year back to get off to a frigid cold start. The year prior, he looked completely worn down by the time the Steelers reached the postseason after being thrust into playing on an every-snap basis. Harris has shown that he's durable enough and can play through pain, but staying healthy is the biggest key to remaining effective. 

The emergence of Jaylen Warren last season led to a decreased snap count for the Alabama product, and truthfully, that could be the best-case scenario for him. There aren't any backs out there playing nearly 85% of their team's snaps in this day and age. Spreading the workload around could keep Harris fresher on a snap-to-snap basis while also potentially prolonging his career in the long run.

Reintegrate Himself Into the Passing Attack

It's no secret that the NFL is a passing league, and basically, all of the NFL's top playmakers at the position contribute to the passing game. Harris saw his receiving numbers split in half last season, partially due to the fact that Warren was seeing some of the snaps on third down in obvious passing situations. It wasn't just due to snaps, however, as his yards per route run dropped from 1.3 in 2021 down to 0.9 in 2022. He was able to notch three more receiving touchdowns last season, matching his total from the year prior. 

One of the biggest pros in Harris' scouting report coming out of college was his ability to impact the game in many different ways. The Steelers haven't elected to feature him heavily by designing touches for him through the air, instead using him as just a check-down option for the quarterback. Harris is a solid pass protector who can be trusted to sort through protections and identify potential blitzers. Pittsburgh has many different weapons at their disposal on offense, meaning Harris will have to do everything in his power to make the most of his opportunities when they arise. 

Win!

Could Harris have a great 2023 campaign despite a lack of team success around him? Potentially. But everyone within the Steelers organization has made it very clear that they want this offense to run through the running game and, in turn, their third-year ball carrier. If you watched Matt Canada's offense down the stretch last season, you saw the blueprint of what they envisioned their identity to be moving forward.

The Steelers want to enforce their will on opposing defenses for four quarters, and Harris is the focal point of the offense entering the new year. If he's capable of showing that he can be the star leading the show, elevating the Steelers to the postseason in a tough AFC, it'll be easy to quantify his value. If Harris plays to his talent level and the Steelers win a bunch of games, his fifth-year option will be a foregone conclusion. 

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