Insider: Steelers Put Najee Harris Extension Away

A Pittsburgh Steelers insider has reported that the team has no plans to extend their star running back.

Jan 15, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) runs the ball in the first half against the Buffalo Bills in a 2024 AFC wild card game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH -- While the Pittsburgh Steelers remain diligent in attempting to hammer out extensions with several of their top players before the start of the regular season, which acts as a volitional deadline of sorts, the team appears to be content allowing Najee Harris to play out the string on his rookie deal.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac reported that both Pat Freiermuth and Cam Heyward are actively negotiating with the Steelers, signaling that the team's priorities are not with retaining Harris or several other key members of the offense before they reach free agency next offseason.

"Meantime, extending Freiermuth would make sense because the Steelers have a number of consequential players who will be free agents after the season, including Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren," Dulac wrote. "They don’t have plans to extend any of those players before the start of the season."

It won't come as a surprise that the Steelers are adopting a wait-and-see approach with both Wilson and Fields in their first seasons with the organization, but their hesitancy in engaging with Warren and Harris on the contract front raises some questions.

Warren profiles as a restricted free agent who would hit the open market with major strings attached next year if Pittsburgh offers a qualifying offer and retains right of first refusal, so while a new deal feels unlikely at this juncture, it's a pretty safe bet that he will ultimately return.

Harris presents an entirely different case, however. After declining his fifth-year option at $6.8 million for the 2025 season, the Steelers are comfortable letting him walk and setting up this year as a trial period of sorts in Arthur Smith's wide-zone offense.

The organization is no stranger to playing hardball, or outright avoiding extensions, with their running backs as they have done with Le'Veon Bell and James Conner to differing extents in recent years, and Harris will be no different.

After a stellar rookie campaign in 2021 where he recorded 1,667 yards from scrimmage and 10 touchdowns, Harris saw his production steadily decline over the following two years. His carries, targets, receptions and both rushing and receiving yards have all slipped over that stretch, raising some alarms on his long-term viability considering how much tread he has on his tires at 26-years-old.

Despite all of that, Harris still posted the fourth-most rushing yards in the NFL over his first three seasons and is a valuable part of Pittsburgh's offense. In a run-heavy system, he will earn plenty of opportunities alongside Warren to go out and prove his worth to both the Steelers and the rest of the league as he looks to secure his payday.

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