Steelers' management must be celebrating for not extending this player

While not the biggest news story of the offseason, the Steelers made the surprising move to not pick up the fifth-year option of Najee Harris this offseason. While a lot of his fans held out hope that an extension would still be struck between the two sides, nothing materialized before the season. Instead, more than likely, he is playing his final year with the team.

For anyone hoping for an extension, you have to be relieved right now that no new deal was struck. Through the first four games of the season, Harris has proven to be exactly what he has been in the past: a mediocre power back who doesn’t create a lot on his own. He was a bad first-round pick when the team chose him, and doubling down now would have been a mistake.

Let's be clear upfront, Harris isn’t a horrible player, but he has proven time and again that he didn’t have the makings of an elite back. He thrives when he gets to the second level on plays as any 240-pound back would. The issue is his jarring lack of athleticism. Unless he has a wide-open hole, he seems to get wrapped up by speedier defenders.

His fanbase remains adamant that he is good, citing his rushing yards having gone over 1000 yards in each of his first three seasons. When you look at his efficiency though, he hit those marks because of overall usage, as he has never been a topped more than 4.1 yards per attempt. Those aren’t good numbers for a top running back.

Why the Steelers should be thankful no new deal was struck

Things haven’t gotten any better for Harris this season either. He is averaging a career-low 3.4 yards per carry so far this season and has seen his successful run rate drop below 40 percent. These are below-average numbers and it is hard to blame anyone but him at this point.

Once again, fans are listing the line as an issue. While the unit is banged up, we have seen spurts of success from Cordarrell Patterson as a reserve. There are opportunities, even if they aren’t huge. Harris lacks the athleticism to capitalize though, and it is only hurting this offense.

Had the team inked him to a new deal, you would have been looking at 9-10 million dollars a season at least. For a player who hasn’t been better than above-average in his career at a position that is severely devalued, that would have been a foolish mistake.

While Harris has been a late bloomer in seasons past, even with an uptick in efficiency he still has proven again and again that he just isn’t the player you hoped he would be out of Alabama. He can handle a big workload, but his efficiency and lack of big plays make him a plodder. The Steelers dodged a bullet but not getting him on a new deal.