The Pittsburgh Steelers have added a number of guys to their running back room this offseason. They already have the established one-two punch of Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, and Cordarrelle Patterson is capable at the position as an RB3. That hasn’t stopped them from continuing to add to the position on their 90-man offseason roster.
Veteran RB Jonathan Ward was signed after attending rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. La’Mical Perine was the latest addition and is entering his fifth season. Then there is Daijun Edwards, a 2024 UDFA, and Aaron Shampklin who was signed to a futures deal back in January.
| Name | Experience | Games/Starts | Height/Weight |
| Jonathan Ward | 4 | 42/0 | 6-0/202 |
| La’Mical Perine | 4 | 17/1 | 5-11/216 |
| Aaron Shampklin | 1 | 0/0 | 5-10/195 |
| Daijun Edwards | R | – | 5-9/207 |
Over the last two years, the Steelers have only carried three running backs on their initial 53-man roster. Anthony McFarland Jr. was the third at the beginning of the 2023 season because he was initially slated to be the primary kick returner. Benny Snell Jr. was the third the season before that, and he was also a big contributor on special teams. Back in 2021, the Steelers carried a fourth RB on the initial 53 with Kalen Ballage and Snell. In 2020 there were also four with Snell and Jaylen Samuels.
The bottom line is, if the Steelers do keep a fourth running back, it will be because of their special teams abilities. There is also the chance they view Patterson as a pure kick returner since that position is now valuable, which could make it more likely that four make the roster this time around.
Of the three non-rookie players, Ward and Perine are the only two with special teams experience in the NFL. They have both been in the NFL for four seasons, but Ward has a significant edge in experience on special teams.
| Name | Special Teams Snaps | Kick Return Snaps | Kick Coverage Snaps | Punt Return Snaps | Punt Coverage Snaps |
Special Teams Tackles
|
| Jonathan Ward | 548 | 183 | 192 | 109 | 64 | 10 |
| La’Mical Perine | 133 | 56 | 53 | 3 | 21 | 0 |
Shampklin wasn’t a special teamer at Harvard. But Edwards played 294 special teams snaps at Georgia across four different units.
If there is a fourth running back on the roster come September, Ward seems like the best bet for now. He has the most experience on special teams and has some decent tape in his limited touches throughout his career. Edwards is a wild card because he has special teams experience in college, and at least one Steelers insider said he is a player to keep an eye on.
It feels like this could be a year that they carry four given the nature of the kick return position and how important it figures to be. It might not be worth using Patterson in some RB snaps at 33 years old.
