Najee Harris

Steelers declined the fifth-year option for RB Najee Harris.

Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz was the first to report the decision. Harris has rushed for 1,000-plus yards in each of his first three seasons with the Steelers but has been far from the impactful back they hoped to get when they selected him with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. There’s a strong argument that Harris isn’t even the best back on his own team; after 2022, UDFA Jaylen Warren has proven far more efficient with his touches over the last two years and was more heavily utilized out of the backfield. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the “Steelers are not ruling out a deal [with Harris] later on,” but given the current state of the running back market, it will be interesting to see how he’s valued heading into what will be his age-27 season in 2025. If they do move on from Harris after this season, the Steelers would be without their 2021 and 2022 first-round picks.