The Pittsburgh Steelers have been rumored to be shopping Najee Harris around after they shockingly declined his fifth-year option. The primary partner of these trade rumors has been the Dallas Cowboys, who are looking for a true top running back after losing Tony Pollard in free agency. Even though they brought back Ezekiel Elliott, he is still not the same player that he once was after posting back-to-back sub-1,000-yard seasons with the Cowboys and the New England Patriots.
With this massive hole at running back, the Cowboys seemed like a perfect fit to trade for Harris, especially if he's going to be as cranky and unhappy in Pittsburgh as he is projected to be. On top of that, the Steelers already have Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson in their running back room, so shipping Harris away at his highest value makes perfect sense.
However, Jane Slater of NFL Network came out to shut the rumor down once and for all. Not only does she think the rumors are false, but she was supposedly told that they were made up by the media to generate clicks.
On these Najee Harris and Cowboys reports, team source tells me “click bait” ♀️
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) May 6, 2024
While she doesn't say which team source told her, it's safe to say that the Steelers want nothing to do with those kinds of rumors. All they do is paint Harris is a negative light, cause a distraction, and lower his trade value -- and that's if the Steelers had any interest in trading him at all. While this will most likely be Harris' last year as a Steeler, he will most likely play the year out without even thinking about being traded.
While running backs do grow on trees, Harris knows how the Steelers operate, and he fits that mold. Arthur Smith, the new offensive coordinator for the Steelers, prefers to use a smashmouth style of offense. Harris may not be the same player as Derrick Henry was in his prime, but he is still a great north-to-south runner that can be hard to tackle.
Picking up over 1,000 all-purpose yards in a season is an accomplishment. It's even more of an accomplishment when your teammate also hits that milestone. Harris managed to rush for over 1,000 yards, despite splitting time with Warren. They are a perfect complement to each other, and they feed off of each other's energy. There is chemistry there that you don't usually see with running back tandems, and the Steelers don't want to break it up.
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