Najee Harris’ agent refutes reports that RB asked team to decline fifth-year option

To the surprise of most fans, the Pittsburgh Steelers declined the fifth-year option for starting running back Najee Harris at this year’s deadline.

Paul Zeise, a radio host for 93.7 The Fan and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist, offered an explanation for the decision on Thursday, alleging that a source indicated that Harris actually requested that the team decline his fifth-year option so that he could hit free agency in 2025 for the opportunity to play elsewhere. It wasn’t long before Harris’ agent, Doug Hendrickson, took to social media to refute the reports.

This isn’t the first rumor to emerge regarding Harris since the Steelers declined his fifth-year option, either. Earlier this week, social media warriors were up in arms when it was suggested that the Dallas Cowboys could be in the mix to acquire Harris via trade. There’s no doubt they need a running back of Harris’ caliber, with scarce depth at the position beyond a soon-to-be 29-year-old Ezekiel Elliott. However, those reports have since been refuted.