Is Najee Harris better off with the Steelers declining his fifth-year option?
Free agency is an exciting time for a young NFL player—assuming that he has a robust market awaiting him. For first-round picks whose teams opt not to exercise their fifth-year option, that’s not a foregone conclusion. This might be the case, especially for positions like running back, where the salary threshold is lower. In other words, it says a little more if a team won’t commit to paying you under $7 million, in this case, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Najee Harris.
The Steelers aren’t going to get into the weeds about why they decided not to exercise Najee Harris’ option.