It’s easy to root for a guy like RB Jaylen Warren. A true success story, his career began at JUCO Snow College in Utah. Now, his football days are spent in Pittsburgh. And he just notched the first 100-yard rushing game of his NFL career. A key part in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 23-19 win over the Green Bay Packers Sunday afternoon, QB Kenny Pickett had nothing but high praise for not only the player on the field but the person and teammate he is off it.
“The way he goes about his business, how he plays, how hard he plays, the way he practices,” Pickett said of Warren via the team site postgame. “The way he goes about his business. One of the best teammates I’d probably say I’ve had in my football-playing career. So can’t say enough great things about about 30 and what he does for us.”
Warren had a career day against the Packers, rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown in the win. Pittsburgh’s running game was the catalyst to success, piling up 205 yards on the ground and eclipsing the 166 yards the Steelers racked up in Week Nine’s win over the Tennessee Titans. Warren also chipped in a pair of receptions for nine yards. Their performance met OT Broderick Jones’ goal of “200-plus” and came in a victory.
A bowling ball runner, Warren’s hard to tackle and his ferocious running style brings life and energy to the Steelers’ offense. For a team that desperately needs a stout and consistent running game, the Steelers largely got that this weekend. Granted, success seemed to be bookended, strong in the first and fourth quarters while weaker in the middle, but the offense used the running game to score touchdowns on back-to-back possessions against the Packers and helped drain clock at the end of the game, though the Steelers again asked their defense to make a game-ending stop. Pittsburgh was far better in time of possession, winning the battle 30:33 to Green Bay’s 29:27. A small difference but the Steelers entered the game 30th in football, averaging just over 27 minutes per game, so this was a big change.
For Warren, his role has steadily increased during his time with Pittsburgh. An undrafted free agent in 2022 who admittedly signed with the Steelers mostly because they offered him the most amount of money, a $12,000 signing bonus, he worked his way up the ladder. Beginning in training camp, he impressed with his aptitude in backs on ‘backers and made the 53-man roster. From there, he took over as the Steelers’ third down back in Week Five and his rushing role has bumped up over time. Against Green Bay, he had just one fewer carry than Harris, 16 to 15.
Willing to do all the big and little things (run down kicks, pass protect, give the extra effort), he’s a fun player to watch and deserving of the success he’s having. The Steelers will lean on Warren and the ground game the rest of the season.
