Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris had his best game of the season against the Las Vegas Raiders, barreling for 106 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.
Harris was drafted from the University of Alabama by the Steelers in 2021 and has been a true workhorse for them ever since. Although Harris has averaged 3.9 yards per carry in his career, he has been consistent for the Steelers.
The Steelers may regret their decision to decline Harris’ fifth-year option according to Sports Illustrated’s Jack Markowski.
“He’s a dependable back that can get physical and convert first downs in short yardage situations while also having the ability to break off a game-changing run or make a big play as a receiver,” Markowski said. “Sure, Harris’ level of consistency has left something to be desired, but the versatility and overall level of talent that he brings to the table is hard to find.”
“For many of those reasons, Pittsburgh’s decision to decline his fifth-year option, which was worth just shy of $7 million, came as a surprise. Harris has posted over 1,000 yards in each of his three full seasons up to this point, and the organization invested significant draft capital into him, so the fact that they were comfortable with the idea of moving on from him after 2024 was puzzling.”
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Harris ranks second in carries and fourth in rushing yards since he joined the league. That level of consistency has been huge for Pittsburgh. If the 26-year-old continues to dominate like he did against the Raiders, Harris will garner a nice payday in the offseason, which could leave the team regretting their decision.
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