Steelers Might Replace Najee Harris With AFC North Star

As the Pittsburgh Steelers brace for the possibility of losing Najee Harris and perhaps even Jaylen Warren, it appears as though they're prepared to dip their toes into the free agent market to patch up their running back room if needed.

One name to keep an eye on once the legal tampering period begins on March 10 is Nick Chubb, according to 93.7 The Fan's Jeff Hathhorn.

'I'll throw out a name of someone I know they're interested in, and at least talking to," Hathhorn said. "The medicals would have to play out, and obviously it would be a decision, but Nick Chubb is someone they would consider ... We're talking probably a one-year deal, a prove-it deal, an opportunity to get back on your feet. But there is interest."

The Steelers are well-acquainted with Chubb, who's rushed for 824 yards and five touchdowns in 12 games against them while spending the first seven years of his career with the Cleveland Browns.

A second-round pick in 2018 out of Georgia, he made four-straight Pro Bowls from 2019 to 2022 while racking up 6,168 yards and 42 scores in 59 contests over that stretch.

Chubb later suffered a gruesome knee injury at Acrisure Stadium in Week 2 of the 2023 campaign that required multiple surgeries and a grueling rehab process.

He triumphantly returned in Week 7 this past season and appeared in a total of eight games, posting 332 yards and three touchdowns on 102 attempts.

Chubb clearly wasn't 100% in 2024, and there's no guarantee he'll ever return to his prior form after also sustaining a serious knee injury back in 2015 while in college.

Since Warren, as a restricted free agent, is more likely to remain a Steeler than Harris, the team could do worse than signing Chubb as a replacement for the latter in particular.

The 29-year-old is no longer the true workhorse he once was, and thus shouldn't command an exorbitant amount of money. If Pittsburgh is comfortable with where his health lies, then it's a risk worth taking.