Insider Hints at Steelers RB Signing

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are likely to be in the midst of another overhaul of the offense for consecutive seasons.

With changes likely to come in all facets of the offense, one such facet is the running back room. One change that seems likely to happen is with the running back room. With the Steelers not exercising running back Najee Harris' fifth year option, the likelihood he returns to the team after his fourth consecutive 1,000 yard season seems unlikely.

That being said, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting the opposite might be the case.

During his weekly question-answering session for the Post-Gazette, a fan asked him if the Steelers should re-sign Harris in order to not have to spend draft capital on a running back.

"There's a decent chance that could happen,” Dulac wrote. "Especially if MT [Mike Tomlin] gets his say."

A move to re-sign Harris to the Steelers would prove quite costly, as the Steelers would have to compete with the pricing on the open-market as opposed to the relatively cheap value they could have landed him for if they had taken his option last offseason.

Harris has proven to be a consistent back for the Steelers, but was unable to produce down the stretch in both 2023 and 2024, making a decision to retain him tougher.

Salary website Spotrac projects that Najee Harris' projected market value for this offseason is around $9.2 million, which is a stark increase from the $4.15 he earned this past season and the $6.79 million he would have been paid if the Steelers had taken his option. Now, they would have to pay him similar money as backs viewed as better than Harris, such as Josh Jacobs and David Montgomery. A Pittsburgh return for Harris seems unlikely, but nevertheless is still possible.

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