Steelers RB Jaylen Warren's Surging Emergence Will Mean Some Hard Decisions On Najee Harris' Future

The Pittsburgh Steelers' running game is starting to find its groove after some tough sledding early in the 2023 season. In the last two weeks, Pittsburgh's thunder and lightning running backs, as Kenny Pickett called them, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren have pitched some of their best performances against the Tennessee Titans and Green Bay Packers. Those contests have resulted in the highest rushing totals of the season at 166 yards and 205 yards, respectively. Omar Khan and the front office have to be pleased with the improvements on the ground that have come after some significant changes, like inserting rookie tackle Broderick Jones in the starting line-up and moving Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada from his perch in the booth, down to the sidelines. 

Warren exploded for a career day against the Packers posting his first-ever game over 100 yards while averaging 6.73 yards per carry on 15 rushes and a 16-yard scamper for a touchdown early in the second quarter. Harris scored the game's opening score on a 4-yard plunge into the end zone. He averaged 5.17 yards per carry on 16 attempts and posted a total of 82 yards. 

Both running backs played 51% of the snaps as Pittsburgh has started to balance the usage of their two talented backs. It's a luxury that lots of NFL teams strive to find and while it's fun to watch now, one Steelers reporter is thinking about how things are going to play out in the not-too-distant future. 

Steelers Have Some Tough Decisions On Running Backs Coming Up Fast

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was on the KDKA pregame show before the Steelers' tilt with the Packers at Acrisure Stadium on Sunday. He discussed the future of the tandem with the decision to pick up the fifth-year option on Harris' contract on the horizon in 2024. He said the performance of Warren, since he signed with Pittsburgh as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State, will make Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin think twice about holding onto Harris long-term.  

"The key's going to come next year with Najee Harris, whether the Steelers want to pick up that option year of his contract which is going to cost them a lot of money in that fifth year," Dulac said. "I don't expect them to do that."    

According to projections by OverTheCap.com, Harris is on track to earn a fifth-year option of almost $7.1 million based on playtime. That number can also still rise if Harris is named to the Pro Bowl in either or both of the next two seasons. If he gets one nomination to the NFL's all-star competition, he will be eligible to make a base salary equal to the running back transition tag which is projected to reach $10,688,000 by 2024. If Harris gets a pair of nods, that number goes all the way up to the franchise player tag which is projected at $13,138,000 in 2024.   

The financials are certainly one part of things, but personal attachment to a player will also come into play. Tomlin, as Dulac notes is a big fan of Harris and will probably bang the drum for the 2021 first-round pick to stay in Pittsburgh. Whether or not Pittsburgh does hang onto the Alabama product is still up in the air, but Dulac believes firmly that Warren's future is safe. 

"Jaylen Warren will come through it [discussions about Harris' future] unscathed and he will be the guy because they know they can rely on him," he said. "I think he has a future with the team."   

Warren is signed through to 2024 and will become a restricted free agent in 2025. The tag for the right of first refusal is projected to be at $2,992,000 in 2024, so it will likely be a little higher when the organization has to make that call on Warren. If they believe in Warren as their number-one guy and can get him signed for under $5 million dollars a season, it's an absolute no-brainer.   

What do you think Pittsburgh should do with their running backs in the future? Comment below!

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