LATROBE, Pa. -- After months of fog surrounding Najee Harris' status with the Steelers after his fifth-year option was declined in early May, one thing is abundantly clear: He needs no motivation whatsoever.
"I already have motivation," Harris told reporters Wednesday outside of the Rooney Hall at Saint Vincent College. "I don't even like to say it. I just have motivation. I don't need somebody to tell me what I can and can't do. That doesn't motivate me or anything."
But, that's about all that's clear.
When asked the reason the team gave him for why his $6.79-million option was declined, he simply said, "They didn't know where the offense is headed."
That's the crux of this whole ordeal with Harris. On the surface, hiring a seasoned offensive coordinator such as Arthur Smith -- who is known to run a physical offense that relies on the running game -- should be a good thing for Harris. But, maybe they aren't sure if Harris' running style will mesh with Smith's wide zone system.
"I mean, I feel like I fit pretty good," Harris said when I asked how he feels he fits into what Smith wants to do on offense. "Given his history, you would think they wouldn't say that. But, that's just what it is."
While Smith was offensive coordinator of the Titans in 2019 and 2020, Derrick Henry had the two most productive seasons of his career. To date, those two years were peak 'King Henry.' But, some people may wonder if Smith merely benefited from Henry hitting his prime. Others may wonder if Smith's system helped unlock Henry's potential as he emerged as one of the league's best running backs.
Maybe it was a little bit of both. Maybe it was the right marriage for that time, and it appears Harris feels this could be a better situation for him. When I asked him that question, he might as well have just said "duh" at some point -- like it was obvious that he could succeed in this offense:
And, some of the numbers may actually be in Harris' favor. Over the past two seasons, Harris has logged 141 carries for 606 yards and three touchdowns when running outside zone, an average of 4.3 yards per carry, according to Sports Info Solutions. In fact, he's averaged exactly 4.3 yards per carry in outside zone over each of the past two seasons, so it's not like he was really good one year and terrible in another.
Even in spite of him not understanding the team's stance on why he may or may not fit within the offense, Harris said he's open to staying in Pittsburgh long-term.
"I like it here in Pittsburgh," Harris said. "I like Coach (Mike Tomlin)., Mr. Rooney, Omar (Khan), even Kevin Colbert when he was here. It’s a good city. Obviously, the people are nice and are welcoming. But, it’s a business. This comes and goes in your life."
That's another key part of this entire situation. Khan has previously stated that the team would like to keep Harris beyond 2024. However, there are a lot of other issues to address regarding the roster, most notably the quarterback position. One way or another, the Steelers are going to eventually have to pay a quarterback. That could be Russell Wilson. It may be Justin Fields. And then there are other possible extensions to consider, including Cam Heyward, Pat Freiermuth and maybe even Jaylen Warren.
One thing that Harris confirmed Wednesday is negotiations for a long-term extension have not begun.
"I can't control that. What I can control is going out there and working," Harris said. "If that's something that comes across the table, I'll be happy to answer your questions now. But, there hasn't been anything. So, I don't know how to answer that."
If and when that time for negotiating a contract comes, it'll be interesting to see where it goes. The Steelers could have paid a very reasonable and affordable $6.79 million to keep Harris under contract in 2025. However, seeing running backs such as Rhamondre Stevenson earn a four-year, $36-million contract this spring, it may set a price that's out of the range the team would be willing to pay.
And, Harris has kept a watchful eye on how running backs are valued throughout the league.
"I wouldn’t say (running backs are) devalued. They’re only devalued when it’s time to pay," Harris said. "They're not devalued if you look around. Me sitting here saying I'm a devalued position, there were games that I literally carried the offense, giving me the ball. So, it's not really devalued. But when it's time to pay, that's when they want to devalue the position.
"Right now, we're not put in the best position. If they tell us, in this game you've gotta carry the ball this much times, you can't say no. It won't look good on you. So, you don't have any leverage right now as a running back."
Harris admitted he was disappointed that the team opted to not pick up his option, even allowed himself to stay upset for a couple of days. But, he's been over it for a while now and is ultimately ready to try and help this offense move the football and score points.
"Me sitting around being disappointed for too long would do anything to help me out," Harris said. "It is what it is. You've just gotta keep pushing. Knowing that, coming out here, doing what's best for the team and having a good year is what's most important right now."
