The Pittsburgh Steelers had the opportunity to lock up running back Najee Harris through the 2025 season during this offseason. But the NFL team has declined to do so, putting the former Alabama All-American on course to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.

Each first-round draft pick signs a four-year contract that carries a team option for a fifth season. But that option must be exercised before the player’s fourth season. For the 2021 first-rounders, the deadline to do so arrived at 3 p.m. CDT Thursday.

Pittsburgh did not release an announcement on Harris’ option by the deadline, with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and ESPN among the media outlets reporting the Steelers had declined the option.

The 24th selection of the 2021 NFL Draft, Harris signed a four-year, $13.047 million contract with the Steelers.

While tying Harris to Pittsburgh for an extra season, the fifth-year option would have guaranteed Harris a salary of $6.79 million for the 2025 campaign. That’s the average of the third- through 20th-highest salaries for running backs over the past five seasons.

Eight running backs already are signed for more money than that for the 2025 season. Harris will be paid $2.439 million in 2024, which ranks 29th among running backs this season.

Fifth-year options come in four designations:

· Players who have been selected for at least two Pro Bowls on the original ballot for the all-star event in their first three seasons

· Player who have been selected for one Pro Bowl on the original ballot

· Players who have not been Pro Bowlers but have played at least 75 percent of the offensive or defensive snaps in two seasons or 50 percent of the overall snaps across three seasons

· Players who have not reached the Pro Bowl or the playing-time standards

Harris went to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2021, but he was a replacement player, not an original selection, so his option salary comes from the playing-time tier.

Harris is the 18th player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first three seasons.

Harris has 834 rushing attempts for 3,269 yards and 22 touchdowns and 144 receptions for 866 yards and six touchdowns during his NFL career.

Only three other players in NFL history have had as many rushing yards and receptions as Harris in their first three seasons — Pro Football Hall of Fame members Edgerrin James and LaDainian Tomlinson and former Auburn standout William Andrews.

A two-time 1,000-yard rusher for Alabama, Harris earned unanimous All-American recognition, won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best running back and set an SEC single-season touchdown record for the Crimson Tide’s unbeaten CFP national-championship team in 2020.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.