Last season, Jaylen Warren was the second-leading receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, hauling in 61 passes for 370 yards on the season, serving as a dependable check-down option out of the backfield for the Steelers in the Matt Canada scheme.
Now, with new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith calling the shots, Warren — who had 107 total targets in his first two seasons — should get even more work in the passing game.
Speaking with reporters Tuesday following the fourth Organized Team Activities session at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, Warren stated that he has a good sense that Smith likes to utilize the running backs in his offense and expects to be involved in a lot offensively.
“We’re involved a lot in the pass game, learning the new offense. It’s a whole bunch we’re involved in, so I’m excited for that,” Warren said, according to video via Steelers.com. “…Everybody’s involved, or just more involved.”
That is good news for Warren, who should see his total number of touches increase with Smith calling the plays.
During the 2023 season, Warren had 210 total touches for 1,154 total yards. He averaged roughly 12 touches per game, which seems very minuscule for a player who was so effective with the football in his hands.
Fortunately for Warren, Smith loves to utilize the running backs in his offense, especially in tandem, which should lead to more work and more opportunities to impact the game in 2024.
As a comparison, during the 2023 season in Atlanta, running back Tyler Allgeier had 204 touches (186 carries, 18 receptions), while Bijan Robinson had 272 touches (214 carries, 58 receptions) for the Falcons. Even third-string running back Cordarrelle Patterson — now a member of the Steelers — had 62 touches on the season (50 carries, 12 receptions).
There is going to be quite a bit of work for not only Warren but also Harris. Harris was used heavily in the passing game as a rookie in 2021, hauling in 74 passes for the Steelers, but that workload has dwindled in recent years, leading to just 29 receptions last season.
It’ll be exciting to see Smith utilize the dual-threat weapons he has in the backfield in Harris and Warren in 2024. Both can win in space as receivers and can make defenders miss with the football in their hands. Having those guys making plays in the passing game can alleviate some concerns at the receiver position as well, which is great news for the Steelers offense moving forward.
“Like I said, we’re involved in the passing game more, and so I can see it happening a lot,” Warren said.
