Jim Harbaugh finally lands Najee Harris as Chargers sign former Steelers RB
Despite missing out on Najee Harris when he was the Michigan head coach, Jim Harbaugh signed the running back to a one-year deal to Los Angeles Chargers.
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Najee Harris and Jim Harbaugh (Image via IMAGO)
Najee Harris left the Pittsburgh Steelers but is staying in the AFC by signing with the Los Angeles Chargers. It means Jim Harbaugh finally has his man after missing out on him in college.
Several players were slated to leave the Pittsburgh Steelers and test the waters of free agency. Among them was Harris. The Steelers made it clear that they did not want to give their former first-rounder (2021) a new deal after prioritizing Jaylen Warren by placing a second round tender on him.
Running back needy teams such as the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots were among the favorites to land Harris. Yet ESPN’s Eric Moody connected Harris with the Chargers and Harbaugh in a recent article.
According to Moody, the Chargers were happy with JK Dobbins’ 195 carries for 905 yards campaign in 2024 but didn’t place much faith in him as a long-term starter due to his injury history.
Dobbins had a productive 2024 season with the Chargers, but his injury history remains a concern as he enters free agency. Harris would be an intriguing addition to the run-heavy Chargers offense, especially since Coach Jim Harbaugh nearly landed him at Michigan when he was a five-star recruit.
Eric Moody wrote
On Monday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport announced that Najee Harris penned a one-year $9.5 million deal with the Chargers. This ended a long wait for Harbaugh, who nearly signed the 27-year-old rusher when he was the head coach of Michigan.
Najee Harris and Jim Harbaugh go way back
Following his exit from the San Francisco 49ers, Harbaugh went back to coaching in college football and joined his alma mater, the Michigan Wolverines (2015-2023). One year later, Harris graduated from Antioch High School in California and was on the radar of Michigan.
Harris, along with a few other running backs, visited Ann Arbor in 2016, but despite the massive interest, he opted to play for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He made the correct choice because, with Bama, Harris won two CFP titles (2017 and 2020).
Harbaugh may have failed to recruit Harris back in the day, but he finally has his man, and as a bonus, he gets to play closer to his home.
Harris spent four seasons with the Steelers and never missed a single game. He also crossed 1000 yards every year, tallying 4312 yards and 28 touchdowns (during his rookie year he recorded 307 carries for 1200 yards and 7 rushing touchdowns). Chargers can also utilize his catching prowess. In those four seasons, he caught 180 passes for 1149 yards and scored six receiving touchdowns as well.
Related: Sauce Gardner makes a bold admission about Aaron Rodgers if he possibly lands up at Vikings
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