One of the only bright spots on the Steelers’ offense in their Week Eleven loss to the Cleveland Browns was RB Jaylen Warren. He started the season off as a change-of-pace compliment to Najee Harris, but has since climbed his way to being named a co-starter at the position. With his performance over the last three weeks, it could be just a matter of time before he seizes full control of the starting role.
Warren was nominated for the FedEx Ground Player Of The Week award in Week Ten. He didn’t win, but he is once again nominated for the award following his nine carries, 129-yard, one touchdown performance against the Browns on Sunday.
Warren has been receiving a lot of extra recognition lately, and it’s no coincidence. He leads the entire league in rushing yards over the last three weeks, registered his second straight 100-plus yard rushing performance, and has 368 all-purpose yards over that span. It’s been good enough to where well-respected NFL Analyst Brian Baldinger recently suggested the team should feature him as the primary back.
The other nominees this week are RB Devin Singletary of the Buffalo Bills and QB Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears. Singletary carried the ball 22 times for 112 yards and a touchdown while Fields had 104 rushing yards on 18 carries.
You have to go back to Week One of the 2018 season for the last time a Steeler won the award with James Conner taking home the honor. You can vote to help Warren win the FedEx Ground Player of the Week. The winning player will have $2,000 donated on their behalf by FedEx to historically black colleges and universities.
Warren doesn’t deserve all the credit as the offensive line he is running behind has steadily improved, partially because rookie first-round draft pick Broderick Jones was inserted into the starting lineup at right tackle. Warren was the first to credit them, saying in his postgame media availability “the blockers made it happen.” But not all the credit belongs to the offensive line. He has been breaking tackles and creating yardage for himself at an astounding rate. Just look at this chart put together by Ryan Heath on X.
