Can Jaylen Warren be a bell-cow back, and do the Steelers intend to find out?
The Pittsburgh Steelers are near the end of their trial period because their running backs are about to earn raises. Both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren will be free agents after this season, though Warren will be a restricted one. Even if he isn’t on the open market, though, he will see a nice pay increase.
A former college free agent, Warren has forced his way into the rotation with Harris over the past two seasons. He totaled over 1,000 yards from scrimmage last season on 210 touches, 5.5 yards per touch. But can he hold up across 300-350 touches per season? And do the Steelers want to find out?
Head coach Mike Tomlin has a history of endorsing the principle of the “bell-cow” running back, one single player at the position who commands the vast bulk of the workload. Najee Harris was that type of runner for him as a rookie, but then Jaylen Warren happened. Suddenly, the Steelers wanted to share the load, as much for Harris’ sake as Warren’s.
But that is because they had two talented running backs—will they have two in 2025? Harris will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025 after they declined his fifth-year option if they don’t extend him before then. And I’m not sure why he would unless they’re willing to pay him like a top-10 player. Warren will make money, too.
As a former college free agent, Warren only signed a three-year contract. College free agents are also eligible to sign a new deal after two seasons (draft picks must play three seasons). The Steelers are going to give him at least a second-round tender to protect him. Right now, outlets are estimating that it will run to about $5 million in 2025.
So, can the Steelers affordably extend Najee Harris and tend Jaylen Warren to a restricted free-agent tender? Because failing that, they will have to choose one or the other, and they might choose Warren. But before they do, they have to decide if they believe he can carry the workload alone because that is what he would be doing until they can find another reliable running back.
The Steelers’ 2023 season has been put out of its misery, ending as so many have before in recent years: a disappointing, blowout playoff loss. The only change-up lately is when they miss the playoffs altogether. But with the Buffalo Bills stamping them out in the Wildcard Round, they have another long offseason ahead.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? Will he play just one season in Pittsburgh before moving on, or the Steelers moving on from him? How will the team address the depth chart?
The Steelers are past free agency and the draft and their roster for the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
