NFL insider shuts down ‘click bait’ Najee Harris-Dallas Cowboys trade rumors

In recent days, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris has been floated as a potential trade target for the Dallas Cowboys.

According to Jane Slater of NFL Network, a source from the Cowboys described those reports as “click bait.”

Adam Crowley of 93.7 The Fan said Monday that Harris to the Cowboys was a “hot” rumor he’d been hearing.

“So, here’s the hot, hot, hot Steelers trade rumor. It comes from one guy from FanSided and the other guy from Bleacher Report, so I don’t know if it’s the most credible thing. I also don’t know if it’s not, because both of those guys say they have Steelers sources, and the rumor is this: The Dallas Cowboys could be interested in trading for Najee Harris,” Crowley said.

The Steelers declined the fifth-year option on Harris this past Thursday. The fifth year for Harris, the former Alabama star and 2021 first round pick, was for $6.65 million. Harris, 26, has recorded three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons since entering the league, making Pittsburgh’s decision a bit of a surprising move.

Najee Harris set to lead Steelers’ backfield for at least one more season

Harris is coming off a season in which he rushed for 1,035 yards on a career high 4.1 yards per carry and eight touchdowns. He added 29 receptions for 170 yards. Harris saw his workload decrease in 2023 with the emergence of second year back Jaylen Warren. Warren saw 149 carries, going for 784 yards and four scores. Together, the two will lead the new-look rushing attack crafted by new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith.

“I feel better about it now than I did a year ago or even two years ago,” Steelers owner and team president Art Rooney II said in January of the run game, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “I really feel good about having a two-headed monster, if you will, at running back. Two different styles of running back, both very capable and really, I think — with the right offensive line — can provide a real foundation for success going forward.”

The Cowboys, meanwhile, appear set to lean on Rico Dowdle and the newly signed Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott, the three-time Pro Bowler with the Cowboys, signed back to the team last week after spending one season with the New England Patriots.