Najee Harris predicted to leave Steelers, replace breakout RB on AFC contender

After the Pittsburgh Steelers finished their 2024 campaign with a 10-7 record and behind only the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North, they’ve decided not to make any big changes to their coaching staff.

However, Pittsburgh will have over 25 players from last year’s roster become free agents this offseason, and there’s a strong chance that most of them will be playing elsewhere in 2025.

One of the most prominent Steelers set to hit the market this offseason is running back Najee Harris, and FantasyPros recently predicted that he’ll sign with the Los Angeles Chargers in the near future.

Harris, 26, played collegiately at Alabama from 2017-20, earning All-SEC honors twice and All-American honors once. He also won two national championships during his time with the Crimson Tide.

The Steelers took Harris with the 24th pick in the 2021 NFL draft and gave him the starting job right away, allowing him to make the Pro Bowl as a rookie.

In his four professional seasons, Harris has rushed for 4,312 yards and 28 touchdowns on 3.9 yards per carry and caught 180 passes for an additional 1,149 yards and six scores. He’s topped 1,000 yards on the ground each year.

Last year, Harris earned a 77.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, landing him 14th among the 47 qualified running backs. He also earned a 58.5 receiving grade (33rd) and a 78.3 rushing grade (18th).

Harris could be an interesting fit for Los Angeles. J.K. Dobbins had a great year for them, but more injuries slowed his production once again. Harris has yet to miss a game in his NFL career.

Pittsburgh has nearly $60 million in cap space this offseason (per Over the Cap), so they could afford to re-sign Harris if they wanted to. However, they also have other options.

They still have Cordarrelle Patterson, Jonathan Ward (reserve/futures contract), Aaron Shampklin (reserve/futures contract) and Evan Hull (reserve/futures contract). Jaylen Warren is a restricted free agent, so he could be back. There are also a ton of intriguing options in free agency and the 2025 NFL draft that could make sense for the Steelers. 

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