It seemed like a foregone conclusion — until it wasn’t.
The news that the Pittsburgh Steelers declined running back Najee Harris’ fifth-year option was rather eye-opening for many on Thursday afternoon, as the Steelers didn’t pick up the $6.79 million option in 2025, putting Harris in a contract year.
Concerns abound following the decision, but for Pro Football Focus’ Steve Palazzolo — unsurprisingly — it was the right move from the Steelers’ perspective.
“Yeah, I might be even higher on Najee than everyone else is. I think he’s fine as a runner, but you definitely saw what you guys are citing.