Najee Harris is coming off his third straight 1,000-yard rushing season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, totaling 1,035 yards with a career-high eight rushing touchdowns in 17 games. However, with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, Pittsburgh wants to see how Harris and other running backs like Jaylen Warren produce in a new scheme, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Steelers unexpectedly decided to decline Harris’ fifth-year option on Wednesday, making him an unrestricted free agent following the season.
Still, Harris has been a workhorse for the Steelers since he was selected 24th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, even with Warren taking some playing time away, especially in pass situations last season.
Harris made it to the Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,200 yards on 307 carries with seven touchdowns and 467 receiving yards with three more scores in his rookie campaign. He ran for 1,034 yards on 272 attempts with 10 total touchdowns in 2022.
