The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Najee Harris in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. While productive, he hasn’t been the All-Pro talent many fans hoped he would become.
As Harris’ rookie contract ends, the Steelers are predicted to move on from Harris this offseason and sign another running back.
Steelers Predicted to Sign Aaron Jones in Free Agency
Harris has been remarkably durable over his four years, but he lacked the type of explosive element that teams like to see out of running backs.
In a recent article detailing free agency predictions for all 32 teams, PFSN projected the Steelers to sign Aaron Jones.
“After four years of Harris as the lead back, the Pittsburgh Steelers could move on from the former first-round pick. Jaylen Warren still looms as a backfield option, but he’s a restricted free agent whose long-term future in Pittsburgh is also uncertain.
“Aaron Jones looms as a still-efficient veteran in an underwhelming free agent running back market. Jones averaged 4.5 yards per carry on 255 rush attempts with the Vikings in 2024. Somehow, that was the lowest yards-per-carry average of his career, but no Steelers RB has averaged 4.5 yards per carry on 250+ attempts since Le’Veon Bell in 2016.
“Jones would also have a reasonably natural scheme transition from Kevin Stefanski’s offense to Arthur Smith’s, as both have majored in wide-zone rushing attacks over the years. Jones is 30 years old, often the expiration date for running backs, but he’s yet to show significant signs of aging and is one of the more reliable starting running back options in free agency.”
Although Harris has averaged over 1,300 scrimmage yards per season, he has not developed into the dominant, big-play threat some imagined he’d become. He averaged more than 4 yards per carry just once in his career, in 2023, when he averaged 4.1 YPC. For his career, he averages just 3.9 YPC.
Harris did start all 17 games, all four years, but his durability is not enough for the Steelers to keep him.
The Steelers will need to figure out what to do with restricted free agent RB Jaylen Warren either way, but Jones would certainly provide an explosive element that Harris lacked. Despite averaging a career low YPC of 4.5 in 2024, that beats any season in Harris’ career, and would be the highest YPC for a Steelers running back since 2016.
If the Steelers do bring back Warren, he and Jones would present a solid RB duo capable of rattling off explosive plays, a talent Harris — without a single carry over 40 yards in his career — lacked.