Steelers' Failure To Pick Up Another 5th Year Option Is The Main Reason For No Playoff Wins

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a surprising move on Thursday, declining the fifth year option of running back Najee Harris. Despite the consistency of Harris, who has had at least 1,000 yards rushing in each of his first three seasons with Steelers, he will now be slated to be a free agent in 2025. Declining the option doesn't shut the door on the team resigning Harris, but it doesn't bode well for the recent track record of first round selections that most Steelers fans look to move past. 

In a post on X, ESPN's Brooke Pryor made a note of just how difficult life has been for the most recent first round picks of the Steelers during the final few years of the Kevin Colbert era. 

"With the team declining the option for Najee Harris, the Steelers haven't picked up a fifth-year option on one of their own draft picks since TJ Watt, who was drafted in 2017."

What makes this statistic even worse for the prior regime, is that the only players still on the roster that were drafted by Colbert since 2010 are Watt, Cam Heyward, and Harris. Though injuries and early retirements play a piece of the puzzle for guys such as Maurkice Pouncey (2010), David DeCastro (2012), and Ryan Shazier (2014), there is a large gap in capable talent at the NFL level. This is a streak that GM Omar Khan is hoping to end, but will have a few season before needing to worry about the option of a player he drafted. 

Steelers First Rounders Since 2017

It's interesting to look back at prior draft classes and wonder what could have been if the player had panned out. It's easy to look at the past two season under Khan and claim the Steelers have always drafted well, but the failure in selecting the correct premium talent in the first round is part of the reason the Steelers haven't won a Super Bowl since 2009.

With the last Steelers fifth-year option being picked being Watt, here is what the recent Steelers selections careers have looked like since being drafted by Pittsburgh.

2018 - Terrell Edmunds

Edmunds was an interesting case for the Steelers. Edmunds was very raw as a player when he was first drafted by the Steelers out of Virginia Tech, but developed into a capable starter to work opposite of Minkah Fitzpatrick. He was never the flashy player, but someone who made consistent plays in the secondary. 

After having his fifth year option declined in Pittsburgh, he resigned to a one-year deal with the team in 2022. During the offseason headed into 2023, Edmunds took a trip east to Philadelphia where he signed a one-year $2 million prove it deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. He would be traded to the Tennessee Titans after seven games in exchange for safety Kevin Byard, before being allowed to test free agency at the seasons conclusion, where he currently awaits a team to sign him.

2019 - Devin Bush

Bush originally looked like a slam dunk pick for the Steelers, who traded up in the 2019 draft to select him 10th overall. Bush looked primed to fill the hole left from the Shazier injury. During his 2019 season, Bush had 109 tackles to go along with four fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Things were looking up until Bush suffered an ACL injury in his sophomore season and never recovered. Since his time ended with the Steelers, Bush went on to play for the Seattle Seahawks where he was a rotational piece, before signing with the Cleveland Browns this offseason.

2020 - No First (Trade for Minkah Fitzpatrick)

The Steelers didn't officially make a selection in the first round of the 2020 draft, as it was traded to the Miami Dolphins for Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick has been a pillar for the Steelers secondary, and not only was he rewarded with his fifth year option being picked, but being extended to a lucrative four year contract that runs through 2026.

2021 - Najee Harris

Harris was a predictable pick for the Steelers in 2021, after former running back James Conner left for the Arizona Cardinals in free agency. Despite running behind some lack luster offensive lines, and at times being the only productive part of the Steelers offense, Harris still put himself in Steelers record books, rushing for a thousand yards rushing in each of his first three seasons with the Steelers, which has never been done in the teams history. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Steelers attempt to keep Harris after his contract ends, or at least franchise tag him. The current tag for running backs sits just under $12 million dollars in 2024. 

2022 - Kenny Pickett

There was a lot of excitement in the air in Pittsburgh when Pickett was drafted. A local kid who played at the University of Pittsburgh was a fairy tale replacement after the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. The story unfortunately became a nightmare for Pickett, who struggled with inconsistencies and poor play calling in his first two seasons with the Steelers. After throwing for 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, the organization looked to move in another direction, and sent Pickett to the Eagles for the 98th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft where he will likely be a backup to Jalen Hurts. 

It's important to learn from history to prevent it from happening again. The Steelers working to clean house the past few off-seasons is a testament to that very philosophy. With Harris having his option declined, the Steelers will have plenty of time to evaluate picking up the next one, with the next eligible Steelers selection being Broderick Jones who will have that question answered in 2026.