Mike Tomlin Told Najee Harris to Leave Steelers

In his last offseason at the helm with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin had the personal interest of one of the team's former first-round picks in mind.

During an appearance on Marshawn Lynch and Mike Robinson's "Get Got" podcast, Najee Harris revealed that Tomlin encouraged him to leave the Steelers in free agency as a result of the connection the pair developed over their four years together.

"We was chopping it up for like 10, 20 minutes about some random stuff. And then, we was like, alright, we gotta talk about business now... And so I was like, 'Hey, man, what's up though?' He said, 'Najee, I always talk to you not as if you are a player, but as if you are my son'... He was like, 'If you was my son, I would tell you not to come back here.' I was like, 'Alright, bet,'" Harris said. "It wasn't no hard feelings or nothing like that."

Harris heeded Tomlin's advice and ended up heading back to his home state of California, signing a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Chargers worth $5.250 million that also included up to $4 million in incentives.

The 27-year-old, however, sustained an eye injury during a fireworks accident at a Fourth of July gathering that landed him on the non-football injury (NFI) list. He was later activated ahead of Week 1 and appeared in three games for the Chargers, rushing for 61 yards before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 3.

Dec 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris (22) runs against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Harris' Steelers Career

A 2021 first-round pick out of Alabama, Harris remained with the organization through the 2024 campaign.

He appeared in 68 games over that stretch while posting 4,312 yards and 28 touchdowns on 1,097 attempts. Harris also racked up 1,149 yards and four scores through the air on 180 catches.

His rushing yard total was the fifth-most in the league during his stint in Pittsburgh, while his reception total was seventh among all running backs over that same period of time.

How Steelers' RBs Fared Without Harris

Jaylen Warren, who largely played second fiddle to Harris throughout their three seasons together, signed a two-year extension worth $11.904 million with the Steelers before the 2025 campaign began. He went on to run for a career-high 958 yards and six touchdowns while adding 333 yards and two scores on 40 catches.

Pittsburgh selected Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he barely saw the field and finished his rookie year with 69 rushing yards across 28 carries.

Kenneth Gainwell, meanwhile, was a revelation for the Steelers, as he closed out the season with 1,023 yards and eight touchdowns from scrimmage on 187 touches after signing a one-year contract with the team in free agency.

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