Steelers Decline Najee Harris & Justin Fields 5th Year Option

[32EBoozer]

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/40070527/source-steelers-decline-rb-najee-harris-fifth-year-2025-option

[Wit]

Makes sense. Running backs are worth the tag/option and fields is still unproven as a passer.


Sent from my iPhone using JetNation.com mobile app

[TuscanyTile2]

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/40069320/coordinator-eyed-justin-fields-steelers-returns-warren-says

Warren: Steelers coordinator eyed Justin Fields for returns
play

Brooke Pryor, ESPN Staff Writer
May 2, 2024, 11:00 AM ET

PITTSBURGH -- Justin Fields, return man?

Maybe if Pittsburgh Steelers special teams coordinator Danny Smith has his way.

In a live recording of Cam Heyward's "Not Just Football" podcast from the Steelers' draft party over the weekend, running back Jaylen Warren said Smith suggested that Fields, whom the Steelers acquired in a March trade with the Chicago Bears, could return kickoffs with the rule change preventing players from moving until the returner touches the ball.

"I think it's pretty good," Warren told Heyward, when asked how he felt about the new kickoff rules. "As soon as you touch the ball, that's when everything starts to happen.

"Our special teams coordinator was talking about Justin Fields being back there. We're like, 'Hold up, hold up.' We looked at him like, 'Justin Fields is about to be back there?' I don't know. I think it's cool."

Smith, who has been the Steelers' special teams coordinator since 2013, is known for being an innovative mind, but this is more out-of-the-box than usual.

A mobile quarterback who ran a 4.45 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in 2021, Fields would be a fun if non-traditional option as a returner. It's unlikely, though, that Fields would actually return kicks, not only because the Steelers signed return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson earlier this offseason but also because a backup quarterback participating in a kickoff return is a high-risk move, even with rules adopted to make the play safer.

It's also unclear whether special teams snaps would count toward the playing-time clause in the trade with the Bears. If Fields plays 51% or more of the offensive snaps, the 2025 sixth-round pick the Steelers gave up for Fields becomes a fourth-rounder.

Fields' prowess as a special-teamer remains to be seen, but Warren did compliment his leadership as a quarterback.

"It's a night-and-day difference with their leadership," Warren said of having Fields and Russell Wilson in the building. "They bring a lot. They help out. They tell us how to run the route. They're really on it when you don't run it a certain way. They're big on details, kind of what we preach, and it helps a lot."

Warren was also complimentary of new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

"His biggest difference is he's very interactive in the meetings," Warren said. "You want to pay attention because he's gonna call you out if you're not paying attention. That's happened a couple times. I think his approach to being the OC is really good."

[BornJetsFan1983]

47 minutes ago, 32EBoozer said:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/40070527/source-steelers-decline-rb-najee-harris-fifth-year-2025-option

wow, I am still surprized that fields got released and not not extended. 

I mean was he really the problem there? I thought he was supposed to have turned a corner. Thought he was playing better?

[32EBoozer]

Would folks on here prefer JF or Tyrod as #2 Qb. I’d personally take Fields

[Larz]

There will be a similar bloodbath this year. Hope we escape it this time 

 

 

[Raideraholic]

1 hour ago, BornJetsFan1983 said:

wow, I am still surprized that fields got released and not not extended. 

I mean was he really the problem there? I thought he was supposed to have turned a corner. Thought he was playing better?

J fields missed so many guys that were open.  

[DJF71]

What an awful draft class.

[faba]

No brainer you are not  paying fields 25 million dollars

Harris is going to split carries so not main back as of right now

[Smashmouth]

1 hour ago, Larz said:

There will be a similar bloodbath this year. Hope we escape it this time 

 

 

What is Things that suck ?

[Joe W. Namath]

Harris is just awful.  No explosion.  A plodder u can find in the 5th round.  Just an awful pick by the steelers.

Fields option was never going to be picked up so thats not surprising.  Most teams arent as dumb as the panthers.  Hahahahaha.

[BornJetsFan1983]

6 hours ago, Raideraholic said:

J fields missed so many guys that were open.  

Bro good luck with all those TEs

[derp]

3 hours ago, Joe W. Namath said:

Harris is just awful.  No explosion.  A plodder u can find in the 5th round.  Just an awful pick by the steelers.

Fields option was never going to be picked up so thats not surprising.  Most teams arent as dumb as the panthers.  Hahahahaha.

I did a lot of arguing about Harris with folks on here a few years ago. Firmly not a first round caliber RB.

[Larz]

From otc

 

 

[Augustiniak]

7 hours ago, Joe W. Namath said:

Harris is just awful.  No explosion.  A plodder u can find in the 5th round.  Just an awful pick by the steelers.

Fields option was never going to be picked up so thats not surprising.  Most teams arent as dumb as the panthers.  Hahahahaha.

Harris is the guy the jets just drafted in davis.  

[Raideraholic]

5 hours ago, BornJetsFan1983 said:

Bro good luck with all those TEs

No luck needed.     Both Te’s complement each other skill level.    One is a traditional Te m Mayer ( can block De’s , and catch ) and the other( b Bowers)  more of a special gadget weapon that can use in many different ways.  .     MICHAEL Mayer is the blocker who makes his living on the shorter passes , and the contested passes .    Bowers can attack the field much deeper but isn’t the guy who’s  going to win the contested passes, or can block de’s. .    
You throw in one best Wr - Devante Adams , and Wr 1b J Meyers - two of the best route runners in the game.    Than you throw in the burner Tre Tucker - stretch the field and opens up for all the other skill players.   Zeus is a beast at Rb.  4.4 speed and built like a tank .    Raiders have the offense line to protect whoever the Qb .   Very young offenseline that set up nicely for years .    With all their weapons is going to be tough to stop this offense. 

[Raideraholic]

4 hours ago, derp said:

I did a lot of arguing about Harris with folks on here a few years ago. Firmly not a first round caliber RB.

No one giving any Rb a big second contract .    You think b Hall going to be any different.    The Rb position is devalued as there are very few bell cow rbs anymore.   It’s all running back by committee .     It’s dumb to pay any Rb ( short nfl career span) when you can get cheap ones late throughout the draft .   So it’s nothing to do about Harris ability , but the fact that teams rather go with the cheaper option.

[32EBoozer]

1 hour ago, Raideraholic said:

No luck needed.     Both Te’s complement each other skill level.    One is a traditional Te m Mayer ( can block De’s , and catch ) and the other( b Bowers)  more of a special gadget weapon that can use in many different ways.  .     MICHAEL Mayer is the blocker who makes his living on the shorter passes , and the contested passes .    Bowers can attack the field much deeper but isn’t the guy who’s  going to win the contested passes, or can block de’s. .    
You throw in one best Wr - Devante Adams , and Wr 1b J Meyers - two of the best route runners in the game.    Than you throw in the burner Tre Tucker - stretch the field and opens up for all the other skill players.   Zeus is a beast at Rb.  4.4 speed and built like a tank .    Raiders have the offense line to protect whoever the Qb .   Very young offenseline that set up nicely for years .    With all their weapons is going to be tough to stop this offense. 

 

[derp]

1 hour ago, Raideraholic said:

No one giving any Rb a big second contract .    You think b Hall going to be any different.    The Rb position is devalued as there are very few bell cow rbs anymore.   It’s all running back by committee .     It’s dumb to pay any Rb ( short nfl career span) when you can get cheap ones late throughout the draft .   So it’s nothing to do about Harris ability , but the fact that teams rather go with the cheaper option.

The fifth year option is not a big second contract. It's one year at $6.8 million. I think Breece Hall will be different in that he was not a first round pick and the Jets don't have this option to pick up or decline - so that comparison just makes no sense whatsoever.

The $6.8M would be 12th in the league in AAV with six contracts signed above that AAV this past offseason. It's just a tick under what D'Andre Swift, Tony Pollard, and Aaron Jones got in 2024 free agency.

If you don't think a first round running back should justify a one year option that cheap relative to the market being picked up, I don't know what to tell you. He has not met expectations for a first round pick and the option not being picked up absolutely has to do with his ability.

[BornJetsFan1983]

3 hours ago, Raideraholic said:

No luck needed.     Both Te’s complement each other skill level.    One is a traditional Te m Mayer ( can block De’s , and catch ) and the other( b Bowers)  more of a special gadget weapon that can use in many different ways.  .     MICHAEL Mayer is the blocker who makes his living on the shorter passes , and the contested passes .    Bowers can attack the field much deeper but isn’t the guy who’s  going to win the contested passes, or can block de’s. .    
You throw in one best Wr - Devante Adams , and Wr 1b J Meyers - two of the best route runners in the game.    Than you throw in the burner Tre Tucker - stretch the field and opens up for all the other skill players.   Zeus is a beast at Rb.  4.4 speed and built like a tank .    Raiders have the offense line to protect whoever the Qb .   Very young offenseline that set up nicely for years .    With all their weapons is going to be tough to stop this offense. 

what you think bowers going to do this year for you? he is a 400 yard 3 touchdown guy.

[BornJetsFan1983]

1 hour ago, derp said:

The fifth year option is not a big second contract. It's one year at $6.8 million. I think Breece Hall will be different in that he was not a first round pick and the Jets don't have this option to pick up or decline - so that comparison just makes no sense whatsoever.

The $6.8M would be 12th in the league in AAV with six contracts signed above that AAV this past offseason. It's just a tick under what D'Andre Swift, Tony Pollard, and Aaron Jones got in 2024 free agency.

If you don't think a first round running back should justify a one year option that cheap relative to the market being picked up, I don't know what to tell you. He has not met expectations for a first round pick and the option not being picked up absolutely has to do with his ability.

Breece hall is going to get a big second contract. That is obvious to anyone.

You pay extraordinary talent at RB, that is what Breece hall is. THe line he had this year will let him highlight it very well. After this year the poster saying dont pay him will be begging to keep him, it is all so predictable. 

[UntouchableCrew]

16 hours ago, Larz said:

There will be a similar bloodbath this year. Hope we escape it this time 

 

 

The fact that Leatherwood was literally didn't make it out of training camp in 2022 is astonishing. No wife beating, no controversial tweets. Dude was just so bad that he didn't make the team as the 17th overall pick in year 2.

[JetsFlyer]

Fields as a returner? Haha

Its all fun and games, until someone loses an eye

[UntouchableCrew]

24 minutes ago, BornJetsFan1983 said:

Breece hall is going to get a big second contract. That is obvious to anyone.

You pay extraordinary talent at RB, that is what Breece hall is. THe line he had this year will let him highlight it very well. After this year the poster saying dont pay him will be begging to keep him, it is all so predictable. 

Is it?

Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, and Jermaine Johnson all play premium positions. They are all under three more years of team control. Seems extremely likely they'll all have their options picked up and ultimately will be extended.

Breece Hall is way more uncertain. He's under two more years of team control (i.e. they'll either need to extend him next year or franchise him the year after) after one of his two seasons has ended with a knee injury.

Whether or not they extend him very much depends on what is to come and there's a good argument that maximizing his rookie deal then flipping him is the smart move.

[derp]

30 minutes ago, BornJetsFan1983 said:

Breece hall is going to get a big second contract. That is obvious to anyone.

You pay extraordinary talent at RB, that is what Breece hall is. THe line he had this year will let him highlight it very well. After this year the poster saying dont pay him will be begging to keep him, it is all so predictable. 

That poster is a Raiders fan who's probably got a bit of an agenda after his team didn't re-sign Josh Jacobs.

I very much think the Jets should pay Hall as long as he's able to stay healthy. If they won't, someone else will. Great player.

[derp]

4 minutes ago, UntouchableCrew said:

Is it?

Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, and Jermaine Johnson all play premium positions. They are all under three more years of team control. Seems extremely likely they'll all have their options picked up and ultimately will be extended.

Breece Hall is way more uncertain. He's under two more years of team control (i.e. they'll either need to extend him next year or franchise him the year after) after one of his two seasons has ended with a knee injury.

Whether or not they extend him very much depends on what is to come and there's a good argument that maximizing his rookie deal then flipping him is the smart move.

He'll get paid whether it's the Jets or not.

Also worth acknowledging that Hall will easily be the least expensive of those four players. The highest recent RB contract is Jonathan Taylor at $14M/year. Sauce probably resets the corner market which is $21M/year and going up once Surtain gets paid. Garrett Wilson probably falls somewhere between Devonta Smith and Amon-Ra St. Brown which is $25-30M/year. Honestly don't know where Johnson falls in the edge market because he hasn't broken out but edges obviously get paid.

Guess that transitions to the idea that I don't think Jermaine Johnson, as things stand now, belongs in the same tier as Gardner and Hall. Valuable on his rookie deal, not so sure he'll be valuable on his second contract. It'll be interesting to see how they play it. The 49ers would trade their non elite DL and you can argue Johnson falls into that category.

You're also talking new money in 2026 when the team theoretically has $150M in cap space right now. They could easily bring back all four if they wanted.

[GreenFish]

9 hours ago, BornJetsFan1983 said:

Bro good luck with all those TEs

I’ve been told Brock Bowers is stronger than a WR, faster than a TE, more dynamic than a RB, a better blocker than a FB and smarter than a QB. Forget Megatron, Bowers is Voltron

 

[batman10023]

2 hours ago, derp said:

The fifth year option is not a big second contract. It's one year at $6.8 million. I think Breece Hall will be different in that he was not a first round pick and the Jets don't have this option to pick up or decline - so that comparison just makes no sense whatsoever.

The $6.8M would be 12th in the league in AAV with six contracts signed above that AAV this past offseason. It's just a tick under what D'Andre Swift, Tony Pollard, and Aaron Jones got in 2024 free agency.

If you don't think a first round running back should justify a one year option that cheap relative to the market being picked up, I don't know what to tell you. He has not met expectations for a first round pick and the option not being picked up absolutely has to do with his ability.

picking a RB late in the first round really saves a lot of money - both actual 5th year money (versus Franchise Tag) - but also leverage in terms of getting a long term deal done.

[UntouchableCrew]

26 minutes ago, derp said:

He'll get paid whether it's the Jets or not.

Probably. But like, in two years he's suffered a season ending injury and hasn't eclipsed 1000 yards. He's still more flashes/upside/potential that production.

I'd contend what he does the next two years will determine what he actually gets paid.

26 minutes ago, derp said:

Also worth acknowledging that Hall will easily be the least expensive of those four players. The highest recent RB contract is Jonathan Taylor at $14M/year. Sauce probably resets the corner market which is $21M/year and going up once Surtain gets paid. Garrett Wilson probably falls somewhere between Devonta Smith and Amon-Ra St. Brown which is $25-30M/year. Honestly don't know where Johnson falls in the edge market because he hasn't broken out but edges obviously get paid.

Guess that transitions to the idea that I don't think Jermaine Johnson, as things stand now, belongs in the same tier as Gardner and Hall. Valuable on his rookie deal, not so sure he'll be valuable on his second contract. It'll be interesting to see how they play it. The 49ers would trade their non elite DL and you can argue Johnson falls into that category.

You're also talking new money in 2026 when the team theoretically has $150M in cap space right now. They could easily bring back all four if they wanted.

Probably fair. I would agree Hall (seems to be) at the higher end of his respective position but it's just not a position where guys get big money contracts at the same rate. Pass rushers always get paid.

I'd love to keep all four. Love that 2022 draft class. I just don't buy it's a given Breece Hall get's a huge 2nd contract. RB market is fickle.

[batman10023]

24 minutes ago, derp said:

He'll get paid whether it's the Jets or not.

Also worth acknowledging that Hall will easily be the least expensive of those four players. The highest recent RB contract is Jonathan Taylor at $14M/year. Sauce probably resets the corner market which is $21M/year and going up once Surtain gets paid. Garrett Wilson probably falls somewhere between Devonta Smith and Amon-Ra St. Brown which is $25-30M/year. Honestly don't know where Johnson falls in the edge market because he hasn't broken out but edges obviously get paid.

Guess that transitions to the idea that I don't think Jermaine Johnson, as things stand now, belongs in the same tier as Gardner and Hall. Valuable on his rookie deal, not so sure he'll be valuable on his second contract. It'll be interesting to see how they play it. The 49ers would trade their non elite DL and you can argue Johnson falls into that category.

You're also talking new money in 2026 when the team theoretically has $150M in cap space right now. They could easily bring back all four if they wanted.

how are you getting 25-30mm for Wilson?    He's not at that level yet.

granted he was playing with Zach - but he also got a lot more balls thrown to him.

[derp]

13 minutes ago, batman10023 said:

how are you getting 25-30mm for Wilson?    He's not at that level yet.

granted he was playing with Zach - but he also got a lot more balls thrown to him.

Devonta Smith got $25M. He's the most recent contract around that level and a #2 receiver. Pittman $23.3M and I don't think he's been as good as GW. The receiver market is bananas.

[derp]

22 minutes ago, UntouchableCrew said:

Probably. But like, in two years he's suffered a season ending injury and hasn't eclipsed 1000 yards. He's still more flashes/upside/potential that production.

I'd contend what he does the next two years will determine what he actually gets paid.

Probably fair. I would agree Hall (seems to be) at the higher end of his respective position but it's just not a position where guys get big money contracts at the same rate. Pass rushers always get paid.

I'd love to keep all four. Love that 2022 draft class. I just don't buy it's a given Breece Hall get's a huge 2nd contract. RB market is fickle.

He was second behind McCaffrey in total yards for running backs last year. I don't think the rushing total really moves the needle negatively. He's a great player. Of course the next two years will determine what he gets paid, but frankly shy of injury he's been excellent.

Is Jermaine Johnson a pass rusher yet? He had 7.5 sacks last year on a tremendous defense.

Depends on your definition of huge for Hall. At $15M or less? I think it provides value.

To me given the two years of production we've seen both guys and given the markets, I'd rather Breece Hall at no more than $15Mish than Jermaine Johnson at more than that, and that's potentially what they're looking at given the markets at those two positions. Lots of time for that to change - injuries, breakouts, etc.

[jago]

17 hours ago, 32EBoozer said:

Would folks on here prefer JF or Tyrod as #2 Qb. I’d personally take Fields

eh if you're ranking using career ceiling, sure. but this season the position needs an immediate performer if AR goes down. no time for projects.

[Alworth]

According to OTC by parting with AR8 in 2026 the Jets can add 25  mil to whatever our 2026 available cap is (currently 125 million,, which is middle of the pack even after dummy bottom of the roster placeholder numbers are included). And note that the 49 million by  itself will pay for alt least 2 of the four 2022 draftees for 2026 because we know that the first year of extensions can and usually are structured to have big signing bonuses but small actual salary. Paying these guys is a "first world problem", and better yet one for which the Jets have a solution.

 

[Jet Nut]

On 5/2/2024 at 7:50 PM, 32EBoozer said:

Would folks on here prefer JF or Tyrod as #2 Qb. I’d personally take Fields

Why?  Tyrod is the better passer and they’re both fairly injury prone.