Who Should I Start? Najee Harris or Jaylen Warren

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.

Tuesday, February 25, 10:38 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan said on Tuesday at the NFL Combine that the team will tender an offer to impending restricted free-agent running back Jaylen Warren. The second-round tender will be worth $5.2 million, while an original-round tender for Warren would be for $3.19 million. If the Steelers give him the original-round tender and he signs with another team, they wouldn't receive draft-pick compensation because he wasn't drafted in 2022. Meanwhile, Najee Harris will be an unrestricted free agent after the Steelers declined his fifth-year option. The 26-year-old Warren's fantasy value in 2025 will all depend on if he stays in Pittsburgh and also whether Harris is re-signed. Warren looked ready to break out after going for 784 rushing yards in 2023, but he took a step back in 2024 with 120 carries, 511 yards and just one rushing score in 15 regular-season games.