Dallas Cowboys receive: RB Najee Harris
Pittsburgh Steelers receive: 2025 fourth-round pick
The Dallas Cowboys have a backfield conundrum to sort out. After declining to select any running backs during the 2024 draft, the team opted to bring in fading veteran Ezekiel Elliott to shore up the backfield. The move reeks of desperation from an organization that allowed incumbent starter Tony Pollard to walk in free agency and lacked any sort of succession plan.
Rather than hope Elliott can still thrive as a starter or wait for one of the unproven backups like Rico Dowdle or Deuce Vaughn to make a leap that may never come, the Cowboys should instead be seeking out an experienced but still youthful back on the trade market.
Multiple outlets have been reporting that Dallas' brass is exploring that exact option by pursuing Pittsburgh Steelers star Najee Harris.
Harris started his career red-hot, earning Offensive Rookie of the Year honors after rushing for 1,200 yards and seven scores on 307 totes. While the 26-year-old has eclipsed the 1,000-yard and seven-score mark in all three seasons, his concerning efficiency metrics has resulted in a steady reduction in volume.
With Harris only playing 53 percent of the offensive snaps in 2023—a dip from the 66 percent snap share he earned last year and an extremely stark fall-off from the 84 percent he logged as a rookie—he could be considered expendable. Pittsburgh has an obvious replacement waiting in the wings in Jaylen Warren, who burst onto the scene as an impressive undrafted rookie in 2022 and severely ate into Harris' workload this past year.
Considering the Steelers declined Harris' fifth-year option, it's looking likely that the 2024 campaign will be Harris' final in western Pennsylvania. Rather than lose him for potentially nothing next spring—and a lowly compensatory draft selection at best—Pittsburgh's brass could get ahead of the departure by securing some 2025 draft compensation for his services.
A fourth-round pick is far from the No. 24 overall selection the Steelers used to land Harris, but it's become clear he's not a great fit in their offense. A trade would benefit all sides, allowing Warren to take over Pittsburgh's backfield and Harris to get a fresh start as the top option in Dallas' platoon.