Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jaylen Warren was nominated for the FedEx Ground Player of the Week award in back-to-back weeks. He did not win for his 101-yard, one touchdown performance in Week 10, but this week he has taken home the honor as announced by the NFL communications account on Twitter. The FedEx Ground award comes with a $2,000 donation on Warren’s behalf towards historically black colleges and universities.
This is the first time a Steeler has won the award since James Conner in Week One of the 2018 season. Warren was one of the only bright spots against the Cleveland Browns in a game that went so poorly for the offense that the team fired its offensive coordinator. He got nine carries for 129 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown was a 74-yard toss run to the outside that Warren broke for a touchdown. It was the longest touchdown run by a Steeler since Willie Parker in Super Bowl XL. Funny enough, both of those running backs were undrafted free agents.
He had more yards after contact in Week 11, 122, than any other running back had total rushing yards. That is going to earn you a lot of recognition and some of these weekly awards. He also earned the Good Morning Football’s Angry Run award for Week 11.
Warren joined the team in 2022 after he went undrafted out of Oklahoma State University. He quickly surpassed Anthony McFarland Jr. and Benny Snell Jr. on the RB depth chart and carved out a change-of-pace role for himself within the offense. Now in 2023, he has continued his push for more playing time even being announced as a starter for the first time in Week 10 against the Green Bay Packers. His play has been impossible to ignore. He does not go down on first contact, has great balance as a runner, and has surprising speed for a running back of his stature.
