There were several negatives to take away from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills last Saturday. The starting offense sputtered to yet another zero-point effort with sloppy play all around. But the biggest concern was RB Jaylen Warren exiting the game with a hamstring injury.
Warren has played himself into a large role for the Steelers over his first two NFL seasons and pulled to nearly an even snap count total with former first-round RB Najee Harris. They complement each other perfectly with Harris a bigger back who excels between the tackles and Warren a change-of-pace back who can break off explosive plays and get involved in the passing game.
The “two-headed monster” of Warren and Harris that Art Rooney II spoke about at the beginning of the offseason seemed to be at risk with a preseason hamstring injury. Reports have indicated that it isn’t viewed as a major injury, and Mike Tomlin expressed optimism that Warren will be back sooner rather than later.
Steelers insider Mark Kaboly provided an update via 93.7 The Fan’s Joe Starkey Show on Wednesday morning.
“He’s been around. He’s been looking okay,” Kaboly said. “I know those things are tricky, so if he’s not Week 1, I think he could be a Week 2 guy.”
This more or less echoes what Tomlin told the media on Tuesday. Warren is doubtful for the preseason finale against the Detroit Lions, but it’s not expected to be a long-term injury.
There is at least some concern over a running back having a hamstring injury at this point of the season. Soft-tissue injuries can linger and get reaggravated. We saw how Mike Tomlin treated Russell Wilson’s calf injury. Wilson told the media that he would have been practicing from the start if it were up to him while Tomlin told the media he was holding Wilson back to prevent a small issue from becoming a large one.
The entire offseason was centered on the running game for the Steelers. They selected three offensive linemen with their first five picks of the 2024 NFL Draft. They also brought in two mobile quarterbacks and an offensive coordinator who loves to utilize extra tight ends and fullbacks in his run-first offensive system. Harris would be capable of shouldering the full load, but Warren adds another dimension to the backfield with his penchant for explosive plays.
If it is at all questionable, I wouldn’t mind Warren sitting out that first game against the Atlanta Falcons. The Steelers are going to need him during the brutal stretch at the end of the regular season schedule. Sacrificing a game or two to ensure he is healthy for the long haul wouldn’t be the worst thing.
