Almost nothing went according to plan for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2025, least of all the tenure of Najee Harris.
After four consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Harris was seen as one of the most durable and consistent backs in the league— if not the most explosive. Alongside rookie Omarion Hampton, the hope was that Harris would provide a stabilizing, down-to-down force that could unlock the run game that Greg Roman so desperately craved.
Instead, the start of Harris' season was derailed with an eye injury. Then, in Week 3, he went down with a torn Achilles tendon, ending his season and, effectively, his time in Los Angeles.
But Bleacher Report's Moe Moton, in a recent piece outlining the top remaining free agents, made the case for why Harris can still be an impactful contributor in the NFL. Although it certainly won't be with the Chargers, Harris should still be able to find an NFL home before the start of next season.
"On the back end of his prime years, Harris can still be an early-down contributor in a running back duo or platoon. He's not an explosive rusher, but his 6'1", 242-pound frame can be featured in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Keep in mind that Harris racked up 1,000-plus yards on the ground in four consecutive terms with the Steelers before his injury-shortened term with the Chargers." Moe Moton, Bleacher Report
Najee Harris still has upside in an NFL backfield, he simply needs the right team to take a swing
As small of a sample size as it was, Harris's 15 rushing attempts in a Chargers uniform proved there was still gas left in the tank for the fifth-year back. He averaged 4.1 yards-per-attempt in that span, and he had a success rate of 66.7% on his runs. If he had stayed healthy, there was also an emerging role for him as a pass-catcher in Los Angeles— he was sent out of the backfield in a check-down role multiple times through those first three games.
An injury of that magnitude to a fringe starter, especially a running back, can absolutely derail a career. But Harris seems to be taking his rehab in stride, and based on the interest he's seen to this point, it seems like he might be ready to jump back into action as soon as training camp.
He visited with the Seattle Seahawks and the Las Vegas Raiders in March. It's unclear whether either of those doors remain open at this juncture.
But Moton suggests both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Green Bay Packers as potential fits.
Beyond Chase Brown, the Bengals' depth isn't all that inspiring. Samaje Perine serves as a solid goal-line back and an additional pass-catching threat, but adding Harris as an early-down contributor could give Cincinnati some additional insurance in the backfield. The Packers, for their part, are even more starved for talent behind their lead back Josh Jacobs. Neither Chris Brooks nor Marshawn Lloyd have experience with an extensive workload at the NFL level.
While it will likely need to wait until training camp, Harris should have at least one team calling his name before the start of the new season.
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