Steelers running back Najee Harris ran for 2,234 yards, caught 115 passes, and scored 20 touchdowns in his first two seasons, so no one would blame him for having some thoughts about angling for an extension if he produces more of the same in his third NFL campaign.
No one would blame him if he despaired about his chances of landing one either. This offseason has seen the releases of Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott while Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, and Tony Pollard were each franchise-tagged by their teams. None of those three players has signed an extension, which has been seen as the latest sign of how the value of running backs in the NFL has slipped over the years.
On Tuesday, Harris said he’s taken notice of these recent developments.
“To see people like that get released, especially in my position, it’s like, damn, what did they do?” Harris said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com. “Is it because of their age? You know what I mean? Dalvin Cook is coming off of multiple 1,000 yard seasons. What? I don’t know. Is it money from the team? They got to pay somebody? I don’t know. But it’s eye-opening, for sure.”
Harris said “the position is an art to me” and feels “it’s kind of crazy” not to put a higher value on players who run the ball, catch the ball, and protect the quarterback on offenses around the league. Other backs have shared similar feelings, but NFL teams haven’t been swayed by any of those arguments when it comes to contracts.
