The decision by the Pittsburgh Steelers this week to not give Najee Harris his fifth-year option was met with a range of emotions and feelings by the fan base. The 26-year old former first round draft pick has always been a bit polarizing and the reaction was very similar. Was it the right move by the organization?
When he drafted, the pick itself was a lightning rod. Yes, the Steelers needed a bell cow running back – something Mike Tomlin prizes – in the mold of Le’Veon Bell or Jerome Bettis. But the NFL has changed drastically in regards to the position as more and more mid, late round and even undrafted free agent rookie running backs have found success. There was also the issue of his age and wear on his body as he came from Alabama where Nick Saban called his number a lot.
In fairness to Harris, despite that usage for the Crimson Tide, he’s been incredibly durable and available. He’s played in all 51 career games for Pittsburgh. There is no more important stat in pro football than availability so he’s to be credited with his endurance and ability to play through injuries which he has on several occasions.
So Why Didn’t They Give Him the Option?
For the record, I would have given him the fifth-year option which was $6.7 million dollars. To me, that’s relatively cheap and guarantees you have a solid running back for this year and next with only Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson with experience behind him.
Last season saw Harris run the ball for over four yards per carry which was his best average in three seasons. He also saw the field less than his first two seasons while still accumulating over 1,000 yards as he did in years one and two. But we must be honest; 1,000 yards rushing in a 17 game schedule averages out to 59 yards per game which is not exactly “great.”
As we also pointed out on this week’s podcast, Harris has gained a majority of his yards late in the season. That can largely be taken a couple of ways. Perhaps his endurance and durability wore down opponents in the second half of the season. The other side of that argument is to ask “where was Harris during the first half of these seasons?”
The lesser production was due in part to a foot injury and an overall lack of cohesion along the offensive line. Ultimately, it is what it is and Harris’ plodding yet powerful running lacked big play ability. That could be as big of a reason as to his lack of a fifth-year option as any. But perhaps the one major reason that Harris didn’t get his option comes down to Arthur Smith.
The former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons is almost better known as the former offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans. There, he spearheaded an offense that featured Derrick Henry who authored a 2,000-yard season while under Smith’s tutelage. Naturally, many fans want to compare Najee Harris to Derrick Henry because they both run hard, possess wicked stiff-arms and… They both were feature backs for Alabama.
That’s where the comparisons stop. Smith features an offense that relies heavily on outside zone runs. This is a big part of Derrick Henry’s game but it is not a part of what Najee Harris does which leads to the next point. While Henry has breakaway speed, Harris largely does not. While Mike Tomlin definitely wants to run the ball he also wants to have more big play ability and Harris just doesn’t provide it.
As I stated above, I would have given him the option giving the team a solid if not spectacular ball carrier for the next two seasons. There could yet be a contract extension coming but at the current time I don’t think it happens.
