Two expected Pittsburgh Steelers departures were finally announced on the evening of March 10, as running back Najee Harris and guard James Daniels both came to terms on their next NFL contracts.
FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz was one of the first to report the Harris deal, relaying: “BREAKING: Former Steelers RB Najee Harris is signing with the [Los Angeles] Chargers for 1-year, max value $9.5M, multiple sources tell @NFLonFOX. Harris eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing in each of his first four seasons. A new weapon for Justin Herbert.”
This move was also confirmed by ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, although his report said that Harris only signed for $9.25 million.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, among others, had rumored that the Chargers and Harris were “close to a deal” earlier in the night, but it took another hour and a half for the two sides to come to an agreement.
They finally did so around 9:17 p.m. (EST).
About 10 minutes before that, at 9:08 p.m. (EST), Daniels’ new team was revealed by ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler.
“Guard James Daniels to the [Miami] Dolphins for three years, $24M, per source,” Fowler informed. Adding: “Coming off an Achilles tear but has lots of production and age 27.”
If the Steelers make the playoffs in 2025, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if they were to face off against either of the Chargers or the Dolphins. Both of have been wildcard teams in recent years, and each is expected to be in the mix again next season.
As is the case with all impending free agents, these two reported signings will only become official on Wednesday, March 12.
Ex-Steelers RB Najee Harris Doesn’t Get Long-Term Deal in NFL Free Agency
Harris fit in right near the top of a relatively weak free agent class at running back, but he didn’t fetch the long-term contract that some figured he might. $9 million-plus is a nice haul for a ball carrier, but there’s a lack of security that comes with a one-year contract, especially at a position like this one.
It probably didn’t help that 2025 is expected to flaunt a very deep RB class in the draft. Which may have made teams more hesitant to commit to a veteran free agent on a multi-year agreement.
Former Denver Broncos starter Javonte Williams only received a one-year contract as well, and his was for a max of just $3.5 million according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero.
So, comparatively speaking, Harris did pretty well. As usual though, the RB market is one of the more rigid ones in all of football.
Ex-Steelers G James Daniels Gets 3 Years After Major Injury
To show the stark comparison between running backs and guards, just look at what Harris received versus Daniels.
Harris got slightly more per season, but he was only given one year. Despite coming off of a torn Achilles, Miami handed Daniels a three-year deal because offensive linemen are a valuable commodity — even guards, in the modern-day NFL.
And don’t forget that Harris has started 17 games in each of his seasons in the league, along with 1 playoff start at the end of three of those years.
Daniels has been reliable and durable as well, outside of two seasons that were mostly missed due to injury, but a torn Achilles is one of the more difficult setbacks for an NFL athlete to overcome.
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