The Seattle Seahawks are doing their homework on free agent running backs and recently brought former first-round pick Najee Harris in for a visit. Selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Alabama product never quite lived up to his draft capital but had a solid tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Harris immediately became the focal point of the offense, recording 1,200 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground while adding another 74 receptions for 467 yards and three scores through the air.
While he never matched the heights of his rookie season, Harris maintained the starting job over the next three years and recorded at least 1,000 yards in every campaign without missing a game. Following the expiration of his rookie contract, Harris signed a one-year deal with the Chargers and was quickly paired with a first-round rookie in UNC’s Omarion Hampton. On paper, these two should have formed one of the league’s better running back duos.
Unfortunately, Harris tore his Achilles tendon after three games and missed the vast majority of the season. In total, the running back finished the season with just 61 rushing yards on 15 attempts, and the breakout performance of Kimani Vidal highly suggests he won’t return to Los Angeles. However, the Seahawks are looking for running back depth, and Najee Harris could be an ideal fit.
Seahawks Could Look to Sign Najee Harris
The Seattle Seahawks had the league’s best roster last year, and their all-around dominance earned them a second Lombardi Trophy. However, keeping a roster this talented together is all but impossible in the salary cap era, and they couldn’t afford to keep Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker on the payroll. With the former second-round pick now with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Seahawks will turn their backfield over to Zach Charbonnet. Charbonnet is an adequate starter, but he’s not the type of back who should receive a workhorse role.
Najee Harris had a three-down role with the Steelers, but that probably wouldn’t be the case if the Seahawks sign him. Achilles injuries are notoriously difficult for running backs, and even if Harris recaptures his old form, he’s entering his age-28 season and is much closer to the end of his career than the beginning. Chances are, this is nothing more than due diligence by Seattle. They could sign Harris, but he probably wouldn’t even be a roster lock.
With or without Harris, the Seahawks will probably draft a running back relatively early in the 2026 NFL Draft. While they don’t stand a shot at landing someone like Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love, they could land someone like Jadarian Price late in the first round, Arkansas’ Mike Washington in the second, or Jonah Coleman or Emmett Johnson in the third. Only time will tell for sure, but a Najee Harris signing wouldn’t prevent the Seahawks from pursuing any of those younger talents.
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