Is Najee Harris in favor of Steelers making a blockbuster trade for a QB?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are searching for a new franchise quarterback. Here’s who Najee Harris would like to see lead this team moving forward. 

The Steelers are in the midst of a transfer of power in Pittsburgh. Long-time quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger has officially retired from the NFL, and the Steelers will be looking for someone who is worthy of taking over the reins.

There are several avenues the front office could go with here, and many NFL Draft experts expect them to target the position in the first round this year. Another option is to pursue a more experienced veteran in an effort to stay competitive in the immediate future. Sadly, the top names in free agency this year are players like Teddy Bridgewater and Jameis Winston, and this may not be the recipe for success the team is looking for.

Recently, Najee Harris joined Hakem Dermish in CBS Sports HQ to talk about his rookie season. However, Harris was also asked about who he would like to see as the Pittsburgh Steelers next quarterback. He didn’t exactly shy away from the question. Here’s what Harris had to say:

"“There’s names that pass through my mind. Obviouslsy, I don’t really know the scenarios of everything, but you know Deshaun Watson is always in there; Aaron Rodgers obviously I like. I don’t know how far is he in to coming close to retirement, but he’s sombody I think too. You know, even guys like if we get Jimmy [Garoppolo], I like him too. Just a guy that wants to come in here and compete.”"

It was interesting to note that Najee made no mention of Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins — two quarterbacks who are expected to be on the roster in 2022. In fact, all three quarterbacks he mentioned would require a trade for Pittsburgh to attain their services.

Two of the three (Deshaun Watson and Aaron Rodgers), would not come cheap, and the team would be forced to send a care package of elite draft capital that would include multiple first-round picks in order to acquire these two. Harris also mentioned Jimmy Garoppolo as an option that he likes, but Jimmy ‘G’ is still under contract next season.

Could Steelers go the trade route for a QB?

In the interview with Dermish, Najee was adamant about wanting to win football games, and there’s no question a player like Watson or Rodgers could help them do exactly that. But is this something the Steelers will explore?

While every possible avenue should be on the table, I really can’t see the front office going this direction. Though I certainly don’t think that Rudolph or Haskins is the answer, I do believe that the team will either look to draft and develop a young QB this April or bring in a free agent who can hold down the fort until the Steelers look for a quarterback next year.

Kevin Colbert was responsible for drafting Ben Roethlisberger all the way back in 2004, and I have a feeling that he’s going to want to go out by setting Pittsburgh up for success by drafting the next quarterback who could be around for the long haul.

No matter what the Steelers decide to do, there are risks involved in every decision. Still, it’s interesting to note that Najee Harris seems to be all in favor of the team making a blockbuster trade for a quarterback this offseason.