Steelers insider predicts no contract extension for RB Najee Harris

Running backs who can churn out enough yards to keep a team’s offense honest are a dime a dozen in the modern NFL. The days of it being the top-paid position have come and gone, along with second contracts. By the time the decision whether to extend rolls around, he’s no longer in his prime, and the cycle begins again.

A one-and-done contract is what Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac forecasts for Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris. But first, it’s a matter of whether the team will exercise his fifth-year option. A benefit of snagging a player Harris — or any other player — in the first round of the draft is that additional year.

“I think his fifth-year option could be and possibly will be picked up this season, but I don’t think he will be given a contract extension,” Dulac wrote in his Feb. 22 Steelers fan chat. “If you look at what’s happening around the league, chances of a RB getting a second contract after his rookie deal aren’t exactly great. Look at what the Steelers did with Le’Veon Bell, a back who was more productive and impactful than Harris?”

The cost to exercise Harris’ option would pay him $6.79 million in 2025. Given his three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to start off his career, picking up the fifth year is a no-brainer.

The deadline for the Steelers to exercise Harris’s option is May 2, but a second contract for Harris isn’t something general manager Omar Khan is even thinking about right now. The Pro Bowl running back still has one season remaining before the fifth year, putting the timing of what to do with him in the 2026 offseason.

But, by that time, Harris will be 28 years old and have an estimated 1,390 rushing attempts and 5,448 yards on his legs.

First things first, though. Khan will have to decide what to do with Jaylen Warren before Harris once his option is dealt with. Warren is a restricted free agent after the 2024 season. It’s entirely possible he gets a second deal and Harris does not.