Jim Harbaugh brought the Los Angeles Chargers to the postseason in his first year back in the NFL, going 11-6 and securing a Wild Card berth.
Harbaugh wanted to build a bully in Los Angeles, and the team recently agreed to terms with a running back who fits that mentality — Najee Harris.
Chargers Add Four-Time 1,000 Yard Rusher Najee Harris
Harris was a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and quickly became the feature back for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He made the Pro Bowl his rookie season after rushing for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns.
Harris proved his versatility by adding 74 receptions, 467 yards, and three receiving scores that season, and he led the league in total touches with 381.
He’s managed to eclipse 1,000 yards each of the next three seasons, but he barely got there running behind Pittsburgh’s struggling offensive line.
The Steelers finished 10-7 and made the playoffs, but the offense was dreadful overall, finishing No. 25 in PFSN’s Offense+ metric. Harris totaled 1,043 yards and six rushing touchdowns last year, added 283 yards on 36 receptions, and was ranked as PFSN’s No. 41 Available Free Agent.
Harris picked up at least 10 yards on a career-high 11.4% of his carries in 2024 and has improved that rate by exactly two percentage points in consecutive campaigns.
The shelf life of running backs is always a moving target, but at 242 pounds, Harris is a tough tackle (over 2.7 yards per carry after contact in all four of his professional seasons) that has yet to get much help from his offensive line (PFSN’s 24th-ranked unit last season).
Despite the ability to gain yardage beyond what is blocked, his career YPC still sits under 4.0. Harris has over 1,300 touches on his résumé — that makes a long-term investment dangerous, but there were six playoff teams last season (five plus the Steelers) who were below average in terms of yards per carry gained from the running back position.
The league is wise to not spend big on running backs, but after Saquon Barkley pushed the Eagles over the top and Derrick Henry added a level of danger to an already potent Ravens unit, Harris had been expected to garner interest for teams that view themselves as only a piece or two away from competing at a high level.
Enter the Chargers.
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport was the first to report the Chargers were pursuing Harris, tweeting, “The #Chargers are pursuing #Steelers free agent RB Najee Harris and hope to close a deal, per The Insiders. The deal is not done yet. But potentially, and if all goes well, a big addition for one of the NFL’s best rushing attacks.”
JK Dobbins led the Chargers’ rushing attack in 2024, gaining 905 yards and nine touchdowns while returning from a torn Achilles in 2023. Dobbins faded down the stretch and missed four games late in the regular season.
Los Angeles agreed to terms with Harris later in the day, with FOX Sports NFL Insider Jordan Schultz tweeting, “BREAKING: Former #Steelers RB Najee Harris is signing with the #Chargers for 1-year, max value $9.5M, multiple sources tell @NFLonFOX. Harris eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing in each of his first four seasons. A new weapon for Justin Herbert.”
This is a big get for the Chargers who needed to replace Dobbins. Harris is another thumper for Harbaugh’s run-centric offense.