PITTSBURGH— The Steelers officially declined quarterback Justin Fields’ fifth-year option on Thursday, according to a source who spoke to ESPN. The running back Najee Harris will become a free agent following the 2024 season as a result of this decision. While the team is not ruling out signing Harris to a contract after this season, sources told ESPN that with the new offense being installed, the organization feels that it wants to see how Harris and the other running backs function in Arthur Smith’s offense before making a longer-term commitment to him.
Fields’ fully guaranteed option was expected to cost $25 million, while Harris’ option was estimated to cost the team $6.7 million. Harris, 26, was the first player in Steelers history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons after being selected with the 24th overall pick.
As a rookie, Harris participated in 84% of the offensive snaps and hardly left the field. However, since the team discovered a balance by using both running backs, Harris’ role has decreased with the addition of UDFA Jaylen Warren in 2022. Following the 2024 season, Warren is expected to be a restricted free agent.
The latest Steelers players to have their fifth-year options rejected by the organization are Harris and Fields. Additionally, the team turned down options for Devin Bush, Artie Burns, Terrell Edmunds, and Jarvis Jones.
The last draft choice chosen by the Steelers that had his fifth-year option picked up was T.J. Watt, who was chosen in the 2017 draft. Additionally, the team exercised the option on safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 2018 draft.
Harris had his best season as a professional in 2023 despite playing the fewest snaps (53%) of his career. He averaged 4.1 yards per carry and scored eight touchdowns on the ground. For the first time in his NFL career, Harris ran for 100 yards in back-to-back games in the season’s final two games.
With 2,010 rushing yards last season, the Steelers’ run game finished 13th in the league, up from 16th in 2022 and 29th in 2021.
