Who Should I Start? Damien Harris or Najee Harris

Monday, March 25, 9:07 PM

Former New England Patriots running back Damien Harris announced his retirement from professional football on Monday at age 27. The Patriots selected Harris in the third round (87th overall) in the 2019 NFL draft out of Alabama, and he had 449 rushing attempts for 2,094 yards and 20 touchdowns in his four years in New England in 38 regular-season games (34 starts) while adding 40 receptions on 51 targets for an additional 281 receiving yards. Harris spent the 2023 campaign with the Buffalo Bills but played in only six games before suffering a season-ending concussion/neck injury that saw him be taken off the field in an ambulance. He'll end his NFL career after just five seasons, recording 2,188 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 427 carries with the Pats and Bills.

Saturday, January 18, 12:20 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren will both be free agents in March, and Cordarrelle Patterson has one year left on his two-year deal. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac expects only one of those three RBs to return in 2025. Harris' return could be in jeopardy despite the fact that he's just one of 14 players in NFL history to start their career with four straight 1,000-yard seasons. The writing was on the wall when the team didn't pick up his fifth-year option last spring, and bringing him back on the franchise tag would cost $13.6 million. Dulac suggests the Steelers would prefer to look for a replacement in the NFL draft, which should have a deep class at the position. Warren is a restricted free agent, so he has a greater chance to return. While Harris did have 1,000 yards rushing in 2024, it was the second straight season he went without a TD reception.