The Steelers did not execute any known extension negotiations prior to Week 1 and did not select Najee Harris’ fifth-year option. A team with a no-in-season negotiating policy is either ready to move on with Jaylen Warren and a less expensive alternative in 2025, or they have left this winter window open to re-sign Harris.The Steelers are not ruling out re-signing Harris before then, despite the fact that he might perform well on the market. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac rates the likelihood of the Steelers re-signing Harris prior to free agency as “strong,” but he cautions that no franchise tag will be coming to keep the four-year starter off the market.
Harris has provided Pittsburgh with consistency, if nothing else. Harris has never missed a game and has amassed over 1,000 running yards in each of his four seasons since the team let James Conner leave in 2021. He had three seasons with totals ranging from 1,034 to 1,043 yards after his breakthrough season of 1,200 yards. The yards-per-carry figures for each rookie-contract season ranged from 3.8 to 4.1. Although Harris doesn’t add much flair to the mix, he has been a successful running back. Furthermore, the free agency market this year won’t be as competitive as the one in 2024.
Teams’ perspectives were altered by the class led by Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry, and the successful group helped open the market for extensions. In the months that followed, Conner, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Chuba Hubbard—all 2025 free agents—signed re-ups worth $8.3–$9.5MM annually. After being a Saints cap casualty, Alvin Kamara would have been a 2025 street free agent, but he made the decision to stay. Kamara was given a two-year, $24.5 million extension by New Orleans. In the last year of David Montgomery’s three-year contract, the Lions didn’t seem to be planning to cut him, but they did agree on a second deal, a two-year, $18.25 million agreement.
As 2024 proved busy at running back, it both set a potential price range for Harris and depleted the market. While the batch of extensions points to Harris landing a deal in that ballpark, the former first-rounder could do a bit better simply because teams have limited options. Then again, a 2025 RB rookie class is viewed as much better than 2024’s; that would stand to negate potential Harris market advantages.
Harris now leads a class of free agents that also includes Nick Chubb, Aaron Jones, Rico Dowdle, Javonte Williams, and J.K. Dobbins. Williams, who hasn’t been the same since suffering a knee injury in 2022, is not anticipated to return to the Broncos, while Chubb’s last two seasons have been characterised by two serious illnesses. Dobbins made an impression with the Chargers and ought to do better this season, but the former Raven was placed on injured leave once more during the previous campaign. Harris will turn 27 this offseason; Jones turned 30 in December.
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