Player: RB Jaylen Warren
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: A week after a costly fumble, RB Jaylen Warren finds himself back on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ injury report. Continuing a theme of dealing with minor ailments all season, the third-year man is now dealing with a bad back. He missed practice yesterday, so today will be pivotal in determining his status for Sunday.
Jaylen Warren really can’t seem to catch a break this year. Just as he was appearing to finally hit his stride, he fumbled near the goal line. Now the following week, he misses practice because of a back injury. While he hasn’t missed much time this year, he has played banged up, and I think it has been noticeable.
Warren even acknowledged on Steelers Nation Unite this past week that he felt like he was finally getting into a groove after dealing with nagging injuries all season. In seven games, he has 217 yards on 55 carries and has not scored. He also has 14 receptions for 96 yards. But he is averaging under 55 yards per game after averaging 68 last year.
Over the past three games, Jaylen Warren has rushed for 156 yards, averaging 4.5 yards on 35 carries. He has also caught six passes for 57 yards, averaging 71 total yards per game. In his last outing, he rushed for 66 yards on 14 attempts.
Unfortunately, it was on his final touch that Jaylen Warren fumbled. He was finishing off a seven-yard run down to the 1-yard line when Commanders S Jeremy Chinn stripped the ball out. He sat out the Steelers’ final two possessions.
And now, after dealing with lower-body injuries, a back issue crops up. Will Warren practice today, and if so, in what capacity? Whether he does or does not, where does that leave him in terms of status for Sunday? The Steelers are playing their first divisional game against a hot Baltimore Ravens team, so they need all hands on deck.
On top of that, Najee Harris briefly exited last Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. While he returned and has told reporters he is good to go this week, it would sure be nice to have Warren to share the load.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
