Najee Harris’ long-term future with the Pittsburgh Steelers is in doubt after the
team declined the 2025 option on his contract, and the running back opened
up about his overall thought process regarding the situation on Wednesday.
“I was disappointed for a minute, but I mean it’s nothing really where me sitting around and being disappointed for too
long would do anything to help me out,” he told reporters. “It is what it is, and you
just got to keep pushing and knowing that coming out here and doing what’s
best for the team and having a good year is what’s most important right now.”
He also told reporters he “most definitely” wants to remain with the Steelers even though this could be his
final year with the team that selected him with a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
Harris is looking at potential free agency next summer as someone who has
rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons even though he
hasn’t been quite as dominant as he was during his collegiate career at Alabama.
He is yet to miss an NFL game due to injury and racked up 1,035 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground in 2023.
He was used mostly as a traditional first- and second-down back while Jaylen
Warren handled third-down duties. There were times Warren looked like the
better running back, but Harris served as a bell cow back as the Steelers won their
final three games of the regular season to make the playoffs.
That said, Harris’ season ended in an underwhelming performance against the Buffalo Bills as he rushed for just 37
yards on 12 carries in Pittsburgh’s 31-17 Wild Card Round loss.
After the game, Harris seemed to hint at some discord in the Steelers locker room.
“We’ve got to be more disciplined. We’ve got to be more committed. I’m not saying that we’re not. But just coming from a
place (at Alabama) that has structure and seeing like, we could probably get help in
these areas. … I’m not saying nothing about coaches or anything like that. I’m
just saying more of just in-house rules. … I’m just a player, but the guys in that
building know what I’m talking about,” Harris told reporters.
