When Steelers running back Najee Harris sees Saquon Barkley in two weeks, he might want to thank him. Thanks to the Eagles’ superstar, Harris is likely to have a few more dollars in his Venmo account next season. Running backs matter again in the NFL.
Harris is set to hit free agency in March after the Steelers declined his fifth-year option prior to this season. Of course, his value is primarily due to his consistent production, not simply because Barkley, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs and Joe Mixon turned murky futures into impressive 2024 seasons.
Since entering the league in 2021, Harris ranks fifth in the NFL with 4,093 rushing yards. And this week when Pittsburgh (9-3) hosts Cleveland (3-9) on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Harris will chip away at the 176 yards he needs to reach 1,000 for a fourth straight season. Among players who’ve entered the NFL since 2007, only Adrian Peterson (2007-10) and Chris Johnson (2008-13) have done that in each of their first four years in the league.
“One player who has really helped himself is Pittsburgh’s Najee Harris,” wrote ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler on Wednesday. “He’s on pace for nearly 1,200 rushing yards, which would be a career high, and is about to eclipse 1,000 yards for the fourth time in his four seasons. None of his current peers have accomplished that feat. Yes, open-field speed is an issue, but he can dictate the pace in the right offense.”
The right offense could be Minnesota, where Aaron Jones just turned 30 and has endured recent fumble issues. Jones, who also will be a free agent, is another top name in that Class of 2025. Harris could also land in New Orleans and pair with Alvin Kamara in a Sonic and Knuckles South for a new Saints coaching staff, which could feature Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Or, Harris might be right back in Pittsburgh.
He certainly won’t be in Carolina or Arizona, where the Panthers and Cardinals respectively extended Chuba Hubbard and James Conner. Still, the running-back class won’t be as lucrative as it was in 2024, Fowler said.
“It’s not as touted as the 2024 class, which featured three top-10 backs still in their primes. Barkley, Henry and Jacobs rank first, second and third in rushing during a season when offenses have leaned into the running game, so it’s unrealistic to ask the 2025 class to duplicate it.”
In last week’s win at Cincinnati, Harris ran for a touchdown and led the Steelers with 129 scrimmage yards (75 rushing, 54 receiving). In a franchise that has sent Jerome Bettis, Franco Harris, John Stallworth, Lynn Swann and Hines Ward to the Hall of Fame, Harris is the first player in Steelers franchise history with 1,000 scrimmage yards in each of his first four seasons.
Not since Marty Schottenheimer was head coach: Sunday will mark just 17 days since the Browns upset the Steelers, 24-19, in snowy Cleveland on a Thursday night in Week 12. Nick Chubb punched in the game-winning touchdown with 57 seconds on the clock. The last time the Browns swept the Steelers in a season series was Nov. 20, 1988, when Bernie Kosar threw a pair of touchdown passes and Michael Dean Perry recorded two sacks.
Speaking of sacks: Myles Garrett had three sacks in that Week 12 win. The Browns’ defensive end enters Week 14 with 98½ career sacks and on Sunday can become the fifth player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, to reach 100 in his first eight NFL seasons. Only Reggie White (124), DeMarcus Ware (111), Jared Allen (105) and his Pittsburgh counterpart T.J. Watt (106 entering Week 14) have done that. However, Garrett can become the youngest to ever do it. No other player reached the milestone before his 29th birthday. He turns 29 on Dec. 29.
Speaking of Watt: In last week’s win at Cincinnati, the Pittsburgh linebacker posted two sacks and forced a fumble. He also eclipsed Allen (105 sacks) for the third most by a player in his first eight seasons since 1982. And, with at least two sacks in 24 career games, he tied Lawrence Taylor (24) and brother J.J. Watt (24) for the fifth most by a player in his first eight seasons.
The standard is the standard: Last week, the Steelers earned their ninth win and guaranteed a 21st consecutive non-losing season. That means in 2025 they can break the record held by the 1965-85 Dallas Cowboys (also 21 straight .500-or-better seasons).
For more information on the Steelers and Browns, visit the Pittsburgh and Cleveland team pages at ProFootballPost.com.
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