There is no NFL position that has fallen further and lost more bargaining power than that of the running back.
Once-esteemed ball carriers now find themselves out of a job within a few short years as teams catch on to the reality that the span of productive seasons at that position is very short.
Such is the plight of Pittsburgh Steelers rusher Najee Harris, who learned last month that the team will not exercise their fifth-year option to keep him with the club after this season.
Brooke Pryor revealed that Harris was obviously disgruntled by the team’s decision to decline his fifth-year option.
He attended Pittsburgh’s mandatory minicamp but did not participate, and he did not grant media interviews.
Just wrapped up the final media availability of OTAs/minicamp.
FWIW, RB Najee Harris, who hasn’t done interviews since January, declined every request. Asked in the locker room today, Harris said he’d talk at training camp next month.
Harris’ fifth-year option was declined…
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) June 13, 2024
Instead, when asked in the Steelers locker room Friday about his lack of interaction with reporters, Harris simply declared he would talk at next month’s training camp.
The Alabama product has had three successful seasons wearing the Black and Gold, rushing for over 1,000 yards in each campaign.
But only last year did his per-carry average top four yards, and the team is obviously wary of staking too much of its future on a running back.
That is not a knock on Harris, who has been a stalwart carrying the rushing load for Mike Tomlin’s club.
He has started all 51 games in his young career and reached the end zone 22 times.
But running backs find themselves much less in demand after their rookie contracts expire, with only a few notable exceptions.
For Harris, it may be time to focus his attention on a future elsewhere.
The post Steelers Insider Sums Up Najee Harris’ Status This Summer appeared first on The Cold Wire.