Consider NFL.com analyst Greg Rosenthal a fan of RB Jaylen Warren’s game. Though the Pittsburgh Steelers have been careful to protect both their top backs this summer, Najee Harris and Warren, it was Warren who stole the show in last Saturday’s win over the Buffalo Bills. His 62-yard touchdown was the type of explosive run not commonly seen in Pittsburgh. For Rosenthal, it showed something Harris isn’t capable of doing.
In his evaluation of Week Two of the NFL preseason, Rosenthal offered a few blurbs on the state of the Steelers, including the state of the team’s backfield.
“Pittsburgh running back Jaylen Warren‘s 62-yard touchdown showed Steelers coaches something Najee Harris simply can’t do. (Harris had exactly one run of more than 20 yards in 272 attempts last season.) “
While Warren isn’t known for being a burner, there’s more burst in his game and he showed a second-gear not seen in his rookie year as he outran Bills safety Jordan Poyer down the left sideline. The safety had the angle, but Warren had more speed and after getting a key block from WR Diontae Johnson, Warren took it to the house.
Coming out of Alabama, the knock on Harris was his lack of long speed. While an impressive athlete — he hurdles about as well as any back in football — Harris isn’t a big-play guy. Those runs didn’t happen often in college, and they haven’t happened in the NFL. Since entering the league in 2021, Harris has just seven runs of 20-plus yards despite leading the league with 579 carries over that span.
Notable players with more such runs include WR Deebo Samuel, RB Khalil Herbert, and 2021 draftmate RB Travis Etienne, who missed his entire rookie year with an injury.
The lack of big plays aren’t a surprise but they are a limiter to the offense. Both runners are talented but Warren may be able to provide more of a spark. And as Rosenthal writes, it’s a solid situation for the team to deal with.
“Consider this a good problem for the Steelers and a reason to divide the workload more than they did a year ago.”
Warren should retain his role as the team’s primary third down back while rotating with Harris on early downs. How exactly the Steelers decide to divide the workload will vary week-to-week but will be interesting to track over the course of the season.
Rosenthal also notes QB Kenny Pickett’s strong play this summer, “backing up” the offseason hype with two impressive preseason performances. And he noted the impact from rookie EDGE rusher Nick Herbig, who has 2.5 sacks in his first two preseason games. He’ll look to keep the streak alive in tonight’s finale against the Atlanta Falcons.
