With the Pittsburgh Steelers almost certainly set to part ways with former first-round pick Najee Harris during the 2025 offseason, the running back position is one of many that Pittsburgh must address.
Harris had a decent four-year run with the Steelers, tallying over 1,000 rushing yards in each season. After an impressive rookie campaign, Harris struggled over the next two seasons, which led to the Steelers declining his fifth-year option.
In a contract year in 2024, Harris broke the 1,000-yard mark again but wasn’t much better than the previous two campaigns. As a result, Pittsburgh would be wise to let Harris move on and in favor of a cheaper option.
One player the Steelers should have an eye on is San Francisco 49ers running back Jordan Mason, who was recently suggested as a possible option for Pittsburgh to replace Harris.
The suggestion comes from Peter Panacy of Niners Noise, who believes the Steelers “could steal” Mason away from the Niners.
“Should a run-happy offense under coordinator Arthur Smith want to get cheaper, Mason is a possible alternative,” Panacy explained. “Especially with even more uncertainty at quarterback between the futures of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.”
Mason had a breakout season in the final year of his $2.5 million deal. After Niners running back Christian McCaffrey went down with an injury, Mason stepped in and was quite effective, tallying 789 yards (5.2 yards per carry) and three touchdowns.
The Niners might have interest in keeping Mason given the injury concerns with their star running back, but San Francisco also has rookie Isaac Guerendo, who proved to be a difference-maker in limited opportunities.
Even if the Niners want to bring Mason back, he might not want to return given the fact that San Francisco can’t guarantee him a major role, something the Steelers would be able to do.
Mason would be a cheaper option than Harris, and he’d form a solid one-two punch with fellow running back Jaylen Warren, assuming the Steelers bring him back. Warren is a restricted free agent, so there’s a good chance he stays.
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