Star ex-Steelers running back could lose starting spot after new team’s top draft pick
Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris could lose his starting spot with the Los Angeles Chargers after they drafted Omarion Hampton in the first round.
The Steelers were scheduled to land a compensatory pick for Harris’ departure likely, but with Hampton now in the building, that could all change, too.
Harris, who signed a $5.25 million deal that can be worth over $9 million with incentives, is unlikely to reach many of those targets with Hampton now in the rotation, and that could drop the compensatory pick value or wipe out the pick altogether.
Harris is listed as the starter, but Hampton, as a first-round draft pick, will immediately threaten his status as the lead running back.
The Steelers’ first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Alabama, Harris rushed for over 1000 yards in each of his first four seasons, one of only 14 running backs to do that in NFL history. On top of that, Harris never missed a game in his entire career.
The Steelers declined Harris’ fifth-year option that would have paid him just under $7 million last offseason, citing an uncertain schematic fit between Harris and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s scheme. That came to fruition, as Harris’ efficiency was poor in the heavy outside zone scheme after darting up in a heavy gap scheme in 2023.
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