Who Should I Start? Austin Ekeler or Najee Harris

Sunday, January 26, 6:46 PM

Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler tallied just 32 all-purpose yards during their loss in the NFC Championship game to the Philadelphia Eagles. Ekeler also lost a fumble. The Commanders were playing from behind throughout most of the contest, putting their rushing attack out of the game plan. However, even when Ekeler was given the ball through the air, he could not perform. He caught five of his seven targets but tallied just 17 yards. His seven targets tied him the second-most on the team, only behind tight end Zach Ertz. Throughout the season, the 29-year-old operated primarily as a change-of-pace option in the Washington backfield. Entering Sunday, Ekeler posted a strong 10.3 yards per catch and a 4.8 yards per carry. Ekeler will likely remain in this role next season as he enters the final year of his contract.

Tuesday, February 18, 11:23 AM

ESPN's Brooke Pryor writes that it would be cost prohibitive for the Pittsburgh Steelers to use the franchise tag on impending free-agent running back Najee Harris this year after they declined his fifth-year option a year ago. Additionally, neither quarterbacks Russell Wilson nor Justin Fields is worth the hefty price that would come with a franchise tag for a QB. However, Pittsburgh could consider using the transition tag on Wilson or Fields that would give them the ability to match another team's offer. RB Jaylen Warren will also be a restricted free agent, so the Steelers RB room could look quite different in 2025. Harris has over 1,000 yards rushing in all four of his NFL seasons and has started all 68 games, but he's lacked explosiveness by averaging 3.9 yards per carry on his 1,097 rushing attempts. Still, the Steelers could very well re-sign him, especially if they let Warren walk.