The 10-7 Pittsburgh Steelers finished the regular season with the 7th seed in the AFC and lost to the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card.
Their offense struggled this season and got carried by the running game. They ranked 28th in points, 25th in total yards, 25th in passing, and 13th in rushing.
Pittsburgh has (allegedly) made their decision on whether to exercise or decline the 5th-year option of their 1st-round pick from the 2021 draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers plan on exercising their running backs’ 5th-year option
The Steelers were looking to draft a running back in the 2021 NFL Draft to replace James Conner, who signed with the Arizona Cardinals. They used their 24th pick to select Najee Harris in the 1st round.
Harris has been a reliable running back, and they plan on exercising his 5th-year option.
Pittsburgh’s owner, Art Rooney II, says they face a ‘key decision’ regarding his future:
“A lot of thought, a lot of analysis goes into making those decisions,” Rooney said, “so we’ll be working on that as well as all the other things we have to do in the offseason. That’ll be a key decision as we get closer to the draft in May.”
Here’s how he performed in his first three seasons.
His rookie season
Najee Harris had an incredible rookie season and made his first Pro Bowl, registering 1,200 yards on 307 attempts and seven rushing touchdowns. He also had 74 receptions on 94 targets for 467 yards and three receiving touchdowns, totaling 381 touches for 1,667 yards and ten touchdowns from scrimmage. He represented 84% of offensive snaps.
His second season
Najee Harris took a step back in production in his second season because he shared reps with undrafted rookie Jaylen Warren. Harris registered 1,034 yards on 272 attempts and seven rushing touchdowns. He also had 41 receptions on 53 targets for 229 yards and three receiving touchdowns, totaling 313 touches for 1,263 yards and ten touchdowns from scrimmage. He represented 66% of offensive snaps.
His third season
Najee Harris’ production dipped once again in his third season. Harris registered 1,035 yards on 255 attempts and eight rushing touchdowns. He also had 29 receptions on 38 targets for 170 yards, totaling 284 touches for 1,205 yards and eight touchdowns. His snap counts dropped to 53%.
Even though he took a step back in production, he became the 1st running back in Pittsburgh Steelers’ history to rush for 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons.
When do they have to make their decision, and how much is it worth?
Pittsburgh has until May 2 to decide whether to exercise or decline his 5th-year option, which is worth around $6.66 million.
What happens if they decide not to exercise his option?
If they decide not to exercise his option, he is eligible for an extension since he’s played three seasons.
If they decide not to exercise his option or extend him, he will be an unrestricted free agent after the conclusion of the 2024 season.
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