Najee Harris started the first day of free agency saying goodbye to his former Steelers teammates but finished it by signing a one-year, $9.25 million contract with the Los Angeles Chargers—the Bay Area native returns to California after spending his first four years in the black and gold. The writing was on the wall after the Steelers declined Harris’ fifth-year option on his rookie contract ahead of the 2024 season and placed a second-round tender on restricted free agent Jaylen Warren earlier today.
Harris was “Mr. Reliable” in Pittsburgh. He started in all 68 available games during his four years and was the first player to rush for 1,000 yards in his first four seasons since Chris Johnson did so in Tennessee from 2008-2011.
With Najee Harris and Aaron Jones off the free agent market, the remaining running back landscape should quickly take shape. Let’s take a look at the biggest winners and losers of the Najee Harris signing.
Winners of the Najee Harris Signing
Najee Harris: RB – Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers’ offense, on paper, fits Najee Harris like a glove. Los Angeles’ power running scheme is much better suited for the 6’1″, 242-pound “Angry Run” mainstay than the outside zone scheme utilized by Arthur Smith in Pittsburgh. He also joins a team with a much more polished offensive line, led by Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater, as well as a franchise QB at the helm in Justin Herbert. I fully expect Najee Harris to outpace his RB33 ranking in Underdog best ball drafts. He seems primed to be a high-end RB2 due to his durability, being on a better offense, and a lack of competition in the Los Angeles backfield. A strong season will also set him up for another big payday in 2026.
Jaylen Warren: RB – Pittsburgh Steelers
The most overused phrase when speaking about a running back duo is calling them “Thunder and Lightning”. Najee Harris (thunder) and Jaylen Warren (lightning) were one of these duos, but the Steelers feel that catching lightning in a bottle is the best move for their franchise going forward. I wouldn’t be shocked if the Steelers added a complimentary piece to Warren in the NFL Draft, but Warren will get first dibs on being the lead back in Pittsburgh. Warren is expected to smash his season-high 149 rushing attempts in 2025. The biggest question isn’t whether he will get the volume but rather how he will handle it.
Zamir White: RB – Las Vegas Raiders
Zamir White has survived the first day of free agency without having his starting role usurped. The 2023 fantasy playoffs darling was a popular breakout pick for 2024, but he was not able to recapture the magic as injuries and the Raiders’ offensive struggles proved to be too much for the fourth-year player out of Georgia. I do not expect White to be the RB1 come September, but he lives to see another day for now. Harris was heavily linked to the Raiders even before the start of free agency, so it will be interesting to see who they turn their attention to next.
Losers of the Najee Harris Signing
Omarion Hampton: RB – University of North Carolina
After his stellar NFL Combine performance, Omarion Hampton cemented himself as the RB2 of a loaded 2025 rookie running back class. With Gus Edwards being cut and J.K. Dobbins testing the free agent market, many mock drafters had circled the Los Angeles Chargers as an ideal landing spot for Hampton to be an immediate impact player and fantasy stud. The Chargers are now unlikely to take Hampton in the first round after signing Harris. Even if they do, it would still limit his upside for the 2025 season or place him in a worse landing spot for fantasy purposes.
J.K. Dobbins: RB – Free Agent
J.K. Dobbins made a remarkable return to the football field in 2024 after an Achilles tear robbed him of the entire 2023 season. Many thought that his career might have been over, but he came back on a mission. He paced the Chargers with 905 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 13 games played. The number of available starting running back openings is quickly diminishing, and with the strong rookie class looming ahead, Dobbins could find himself in a time-share-type role in 2025.
Joe Frick: Couch GM – Pittsburgh Steelers
Add my Najee Harris jersey to the plethora of jerseys now collecting dust in the back of my closet. I’m starting to think that I’m a bit cursed. Najee joins the ranks of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool, Mason Rudolph, James Conner, and Le’Veon Bell as gone but not forgotten heroes of my wardrobe. Don’t tell Steelers fans that the most recent jersey I received was for a player whose name rhymes with “C.J. Spot”.
Let us know who YOU think is the biggest winner and loser over at The Fantasy Advice Network.
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