The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the biggest surprise teams in the NFL this season, as Mike Tomlin’s squad is 10-3 and atop the AFC North through 14 weeks. Pittsburgh has won seven of its last eight games and picked up a 27-14 divisional victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 14. The Steelers will travel to Lincoln Financial Field to square off against the Philadelphia Eagles in a potential Super Bowl preview in Week 15.
The Steelers’ improved quarterback play has received most of the credit for the team’s offensive success this season, but running back Najee Harris is having another impactful season. Harris has totaled 877 rushing yards and five touchdowns in 2024 and has also added 249 receiving yards. The former Alabama standout is a seamless fit in Arthur Smith’s physical offense and has established himself as one of the better running backs in football.
Harris will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason after Pittsburgh declined his fifth-year option during the 2024 offseason. The 26-year-old should have a competitive market, and Predominantly Orange’s Lou Scataglia believes the Denver Broncos should sign Harris this offseason.
There may not be a more consistent running back in the NFL today than Najee Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He has never missed a start and has never rushed for fewer than seven touchdowns in a season. He’s also never finished with fewer than 1,206 scrimmage yards and eight scrimmage touchdowns in a season. Najee Harris may not have the top-end speed of certain backs and does not come with the “pizzaz” that others do, but again, the consistency is there.
The Broncos must field a consistent running game around Bo Nix. He’s had to have a bit too much on his plate during his rookie season due to the RB room’s up-and-down nature. Getting someone like Najee Harris to pair with Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin is a legitimate RB room that would wear down opponents.
The Broncos are way ahead of schedule in their rebuild, as Sean Payton’s squad is 8-5 and have found their quarterback of the future in Bo Nix. Though it has been a successful 2024 campaign in Denver, the team still lacks a reliable rushing attack.
Signing Harris would be a savvy move by the Broncos, as the 2021 first-round pick would bring some much-needed toughness and physicality to the offense and make the unit more versatile. Additionally, Denver is projected to have over $63 million in cap space this offseason, per Over the Cap, so signing Harris to a lucrative deal shouldn’t be an issue.
The Steelers will likely look to re-sign Harris this offseason, but if the star running back departs Pittsburgh, the Broncos would be an intriguing landing spot for the reliable playmaker.
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