NFC Team Predicted to Sign Najee Harris & Use Him as Fullback

March 27, 2026 , ,
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris runs during 2024 game.

Brian Robinson Jr. is gone, signed with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, and the San Francisco 49ers are heading into 2026 with Jordan James and Isaac Guerendo as the primary options behind Christian McCaffrey. 

That's not nothing, but it's also not the kind of depth Kyle Shanahan's offense demands, especially when you consider McCaffrey turns 30 in June and has averaged more than 240 carries over each of the last four seasons. 

The good news is there's a veteran still available on the free agent market who checks a lot of boxes, and he happens to have a hometown connection to the Bay Area.

Why Najee Harris Makes Sense for the 49ers and Kyle Shanahan's Offense

Harris, 28, is a Bay Area native from Antioch who spent his first four NFL seasons in Pittsburgh rushing for 1,000 yards in every single one of them without missing a game. 

He's a physical, between-the-tackles runner who has handled heavy workloads before, which is exactly the kind of profile that complements what McCaffrey does as a receiver and open-field threat. 

The elephant in the room is the Achilles tear he suffered in his third game with the Los Angeles Chargers last September. Six months later, his agent has posted video of him sprinting on a treadmill, which is an encouraging sign for a player hoping to sign before the draft. 

The Chargers situation was a disaster from start to finish. A fireworks accident on the Fourth of July, questions about the team concealing the severity of the injury, and then the season-ending Achilles before he even had a chance to get going. 

None of that was particularly Harris's fault, and at 28, on a cheap one-year deal, the risk-reward calculation for San Francisco is favorable. He's already visited the Seattle Seahawks and has a visit scheduled with the Las Vegas Raiders, so the 49ers will need to move if they want him. 

Could Najee Harris Play Fullback for the 49ers in 2026?

Here's where it gets interesting. 

There's been real buzz out of San Francisco that the 49ers aren't just looking at Harris as a traditional backup running back. They're actually exploring the idea of using him as a fullback in Shanahan's system. 

To be fair, it's not as wild as it sounds. 

Harris is listed at 6-foot-2, 232 pounds, runs hard between the tackles, and has always been a willing blocker. Shanahan's outside zone scheme is built on angles and leverage, and a physical lead blocker who can also carry the ball 10 to 15 times a game when called upon would give the offense a dimension it hasn't had in a while. 

McCaffrey finished second in the NFL in yards from scrimmage last season with 2,126, catching 102 passes in the process. 

Lightening that load, particularly in the receiving game, while keeping a credible rushing threat on the field is exactly what a Harris signing could accomplish.

Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images 

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