You’re not going to sense a lot of emotion in Jaylen Warren’s voice when he speaks. Generally a man of few words, the Pittsburgh Steelers running back certainly seems to prefer to let his play do the talking. But Sunday’s game meant a little something extra to him.
Off a career-high 15 rushing attempts, he recorded the first 100-yard rushing game of his career, rushing for 101 yards to be exact, against the Green Bay Packers. He also scored his second touchdown of the season, and third of his career, to help the team win.
And he celebrated by keeping the jersey he wore. He told Mike DeFabo on Sunday after the game that he was debating it, saying that it’s “a lot of money to keep it, so, business decision”. In case you wondered if players had to pay for such things.
And money has been a factor for the second-year back, who earns league-minimum salary for a player of his level of experience as a former college free agent. Multiple times this season, he has been hit with hefty fines for plays that were not flagged in-game, citing illegal usage of the helmet.
Perhaps spared from his seemingly weekly fines that rob him of a good portion of his game checks (“I was holding my breath”, he admitted), Warren elected to splurge this week. Asked on Monday about the status of his jersey, he confirmed via the team’s YouTube channel, “I kept it. I gave it to my mom”.
Of course, he could still be fined later this week for Sunday’s game against the Packers as the league’s agents go over each play with a fine-toothed comb seeking out hidden violations. But he managed to escape from the Tennessee Titans game the Thursday before last without his wallet going on another diet.
While the Collective Bargaining Agreement has stipulations in place that allow players to appeal the amounts of fines based on their salary, Warren was still hit hard the second time around. As a repeat offender, he was still docked over $30K after the amount was reduced, which was the bulk of his game check.
For his part, even with the fines mounting, Warren said that he would not change the way he plays. He reasoned that that was the style of play that got him his roster spot and is earning himself the money he is now making.
Of course, if he were to continue to be fined every single week and he started getting suspended, well, something would have to give. And chances are it wouldn’t be the NFL. Part of the issue is Warren’s body type, which is built in such a way that makes it more conducive to using his head and neck area to initiate contact.
Here’s to hoping he won’t have to worry about another fine letter this week and instead will be able to celebrate his first career 100-yard rushing game in peace. Through nine games, he has three more yards from scrimmage than RB Najee Harris at 582 and is tied with WR George Pickens for the team lead.
