Pittsburgh Reporter Reveals Najee Harris’ Exit Stance After Playoffs as George Pickens Gives Up on Steelers

Not every player gets to choose how they want to go out. Instead, the circumstances around them are the ones deciding their future. And Najee Harris, for one, is the prime example of how fairy tales can end abruptly. With his contract expiring in the summer, the Steelers have refused to exercise their fifth-year option on Harris. So, his 71st game and just his 3rd playoff encounter with the Steelers could probably be his last in black and gold.

When the Steelers lost their final regular-season game at home to the Bengals, Najee Harris’ emotions ran high in the locker room. The place he is used to calling home for the last 4 years probably won’t be the same next year. As per some inside information by Brian Batko, “Najee Harris sat in his corner locker at Acrisure Stadium after the Bengals game in full uniform, staring out at the rest of the room, head in his hands at times.” See, despite having another season with more than 1,000 rushing yards. Harris looked dejected as the Steelers failed to break their four-game losing streak before the playoffs.

He didn’t “even once took his pads off, he stayed seated in front of his stall, long hair hanging down in front of him, no one around. Eventually, he made his way to the showers, potentially for the final time in that building as a Steeler.” Well, him having spent four years as a part of the Steeler Nation. He probably wanted a better ending for himself than heading out as a loser. Harris is still just the third player in the last 2 decades to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in his first four campaigns.

Brian Batko with some inside information on Najee Harris after the Bengals game: “Najee Harris sat in his corner locker at Acrisure Stadium after the Bengals game in full uniform, staring out at the rest of the room, head in his hands at times. He spoke with Russell Wilson, then…

— Blitzburgh (@Blitz_Burgh) January 10, 2025

But the problem is he isn’t explosive enough for a running back. The 26-year-old only averages 3.9 yards per carry. And after contact, it drops even further to 2.91 yards per carry. His understudy, Jaylen Warren, has been more impressive on the explosive side of things.

Warren notches up 3.39 yards per carry after every contact. He even has one 10-plus-yard run on every 6.94 carries, while Harris only manages one every 10.88 carries. However, the problems of the Steelers aren’t just limited to Najee Harris. It has also made its way to their star receiver, George Pickens.

George Pickens implodes just on the eve of the playoffs

George Pickens is that guy who somehow trends for all the wrong reasons. After lashing out at Steelers reporter Alan Saunders for questioning his involvement in Russell Wilson throwing an interception against the Chiefs, Pickens has yet again made the news for his interviews. But this time, as per ESPN’s Brookie Pryor, Pickens has simply skipped media duties for this week. Yes, that’s right. The 23-year-old didn’t just bail out on his interview like last time. He has outright refused to give any after their defeat to the Bengals.

However, he can’t just skip media duties whenever he feels like it. The NFL has some strict rules that players must be available for post-game interviews no matter what. Now, we can just say another fine is waiting for Pickens to pick up, as he has already done this quite a few times in his brief NFL career. Remember the Steelers’ last win before their four-game skid? Yeah, that one was against the Bengals as well, and Pickens picked up a $20,462 fine. Well, that 5-figure fine came on the back of two counts of unsportsmanlike conduct.

The situation was so bad that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin came out and said, “He’s just gotta grow up.” I guess Pickens has yet to grow and listen to his head coach, as his tantrums off the field continue with the Steelers looking to break their 8-year playoff barren run against the Ravens.

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