Predicting Najee Harris’ Contract & Next Team

After a disastrous season with the Chargers, Najee Harris re-enters the NFL free agency pool. 

Four productive seasons with the Steelers earned Harris a Chargers contract last year. However, an Achilles injury led him to miss all but three games of the 2025 season. 

Harris, after four straight 1,000-yard seasons, rushed for only 61 yards on 15 attempts in 2025. 

Najee Harris Contract: Predicting Harris’ Free Agency Deal

The market for Harris appears small, especially when you factor in his recent injury history. 

Running backs like Emmanuel Wilson, Tyler Allgeier, Rico Dowdle and Isiah Pacheco already earned deals from teams. I’d argue that maybe only Dowdle matches Harris’ ceiling potential. 

The question, of course, is where Harris’ production level falls: his Pittsburgh tenure, his LA tenure, or somewhere in the middle? 

Still, Harris remains on the right side of 30 at age 28. J.K. Dobbins, another back aged 28 with injury history, earned an $8 million average APY. 

However, Harris offers a higher risk potential given his smaller snap count last season. Accordingly, I’d guess he earns a one-year deal around $3.5-4 million for 2026. 

Najee Harris Next Team Predictions

The first potential fit for Harris is a trip back to the AFC North to join the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Harris could help ease the workload for Chase Brown at running back. Harris lacks Brown’s pass-catching ability, so he could receive a workload on early downs. 

Beyond Brown, Cincinnati lacks running back quality. Samaje Perine is a safe option, but the Bengals lack depth beyond him. 

Another potential fit for Harris is the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City already signed Kenneth Walker III, but they’ll likely lose both Pacheco and Kareem Hunt. 

A Walker-Harris combo behind a strong offensive line could take further pressure off Patrick Mahomes. 

Walker previously showed a strong receiving ability, so Harris would offer a natural complement.