Najee Harris isn’t avoiding voluntary organized team activities. Even if, for a brief time, it might have appeared that way.

Harris, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ workhorse running back, was on hand for the first team OTAs session of the new season Tuesday at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Harris, though, was tardy for the voluntary drills for a reason coach Mike Tomlin had previously known.

“It was personal business that we were aware of on the front end,” Tomlin said after the workout. “We’re not taking attendance. … He was excused by me, and he got here ASAP.”

It would not have been surprising if Harris had not showed up for the non-required nine practices that compose Phase 3 of OTAs. Less than three weeks ago, the Steelers declined his fifth-year contract option for 2025 that would have guaranteed him $6.97 million next year. Players around the league have staged the silent protest of skipping OTAs for far less, and with Harris being a four-year NFL veteran, it would not have been egregious for him to miss the extra, non-essential work.

Harris did not speak with media Tuesday.

Speaking publicly for the first time about the organization’s decision regarding Harris’ option, Tomlin implied that the market for running backs — or, the Steelers depth at the position with a de facto-level starter in Jaylen Warren on the roster — contributed to the Steelers declining the option for Harris.

“It could reflect a lot of things, but there is probably some depth to those waters,” Tomlin said. “Sometimes it’s positional related and things of that nature. There is a business component of this, of all decisions we make. There are layers to it. I’m not going to characterize it in simplicity. That probably would be inappropriate.”

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