Malik Harrison

Career StatsC+

Year	Team	GP	Tkl	Sacks	INT
Career		87	215	2.0	—
2025		11	41	0.0	0
2024		15	54	2.0	0
2023		14

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

The Steelers secured Malik Harrison on what amounts to a fair market deal, earning a C CVI that reflects competent but unspectacular value. At $5M annually, Pittsburgh is paying rotational player money for exactly that — a rotational player who can contribute in sub-packages and provide linebacker depth without breaking the bank. The two-year structure with $4.1M guaranteed gives the Steelers reasonable protection while allowing Harrison to potentially earn his way into a larger role, though the modest guarantee suggests they view him more as a dependable role player than a breakout candidate. Harrison's production tier aligns almost perfectly with his salary slot, making this the definition of market-rate business — neither a bargain nor an overpay, just competent roster building. For a Steelers defense that values versatility and depth at linebacker, this signing represents solid foundational work rather than a splash move, giving them a reliable piece who knows his role and can execute it consistently.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the C band — a quick read on where Malik's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Malik Harrison is a six-year NFL veteran and established depth linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, operating as a rotational run-defender with modest upside. The 28-year-old has carved out a steady role in the league without ascending to elite status, compiling 87 career games with a current grade of C+. He represents the archetype of a reliable backup linebacker—productive enough to earn snaps but not a cornerstone piece of a defense. Harrison's 2025 season shows above-average tackle production at 3.73 per game, meaningfully outpacing the NFL average of 2.19 and demonstrating consistent effort in pursuit. His tackle-for-loss rate of 0.36 per game sits slightly above the league average of 0.27, though well short of elite edge-setting defenders who exceed 0.75 tackles-for-loss per outing. The concern lies in his trajectory: Harrison has declined from a C grade in 2024 to a C in 2025, with a steeper D-grade performance in 2023, suggesting age and wear may be catching up with a player nearing 30. Looking ahead, Harrison's ceiling appears modest—he is unlikely to evolve into a weekly starter or Pro Bowl contributor at this stage of his career. The Steelers should monitor whether this season represents stabilization or continued erosion, particularly in run-stopping consistency and coverage versatility. His value hinges entirely on Pittsburgh's linebacker depth chart; any emergence of younger prospects could render his role expendable by next offseason.

How Malik Compares at the Position

Malik Harrison ranks 126th of 339 graded linebackers by performance. That slots Malik between Jack Gibbens (C+) just ahead and Dallas Turner (C+) just behind.

Current Sentiment

Malik Harrison enters the 2026 offseason as one of the more polarizing roster decisions in Pittsburgh, with public perception sitting firmly in the negative — a D- sentiment that reflects a player the media and fan base have largely written off as expendable. The dominant narrative centers on a $5.0M cap hit that feels increasingly difficult to justify, with multiple outlets explicitly framing him as a cut candidate and raising pointed questions about whether his cost-to-production ratio makes any sense for a team managing its roster heading into a new season. That skepticism is hard to argue against when you pair it with his D performance grade — six seasons into his career, Harrison's resume shows 2 sacks, no forced fumbles, and no interceptions, the kind of career arc that cements a reputation as a depth piece rather than a difference-maker at the position. The one counternarrative keeping the conversation from being entirely one-sided is a recent positive evaluation from a credible analytical source, along with his return from injured reserve and a 2025 season that showed 41 tackles across 11 games — genuine production for a depth linebacker, but not the kind that silences questions about a $5.0M price tag. Pittsburgh's offseason activity — a flurry of signings at multiple positions — signals a front office actively reshaping its depth chart, which only amplifies speculation about where Harrison fits. The bottom line is that the narrative around Harrison right now is less about what he can do on the field and more about whether the Steelers can afford to keep him there — and the media consensus, trending further downward over the last 30 days, suggests most observers already know the answer.