The Steelers have continued to talk up RB Jaylen Warren, even after drafting Kaleb Johnson, but what about next season? According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, you might not want to buy Warren’s jersey. Unless you don’t mind a jersey for a player who only spends four years in Pittsburgh.
Dulac reports that the Steelers prioritized running back so highly in this draft that they would have addressed it in the first round if their top defensive line options had fallen through. They allowed Najee Harris to walk this offseason, replacing him with Kaleb Johnson. But Johnson could be Warren’s replacement in 2026.
“That’s how determined [the Steelers] were to find a replacement for Najee Harris and get a back to pair in tandem with Jaylen Warren”, Dulac writes. “Just as important, Warren is an unrestricted free agent after the 2025 season who, like Harris, is just as unlikely to be re-signed”.
Considering the Steelers did not re-sign Najee Harris, this sure reads poorly for Jaylen Warren. While the running back is a fungible position, they are obviously a team willing to invest in it. After all, they drafted Harris in the first round and apparently were prepared to use another first-round pick on a running back.
In other words, it sounds like this is more about how the Steelers feel about Warren than about the position. Or at least, it says that they don’t believe in a long shelf life for running backs. But that would be a departure from the recent past, as they were willing to sign Le’Veon Bell to a long-term extension going into his sixth season. And a very pricey extension, I might add, which in hindsight would have looked awful.
Pittsburgh drafted Kaleb Johnson in the third round, a prospect many felt might go in the second. While he did not test great in the 40-yard dash, his college highlight reel shows explosive capacities. The Steelers believe he can add that dimension, which outside of one run, they haven’t seen from Jaylen Warren or Najee Harris.
“Ideally, Johnson gives [the Steelers] their lead back through the 2028 season”, Dulac wrote, which implies a lot about Warren. “He does not have great speed (4.57), but he has the size (6-1, 224) and toughness to break tackles and is very productive. At times, he looks like Le’Veon Bell, showing similar patience and vision”.
Over three seasons with the Steelers, Jaylen Warren has rushed for 1,674 yards at 4.8 yards per carry. He has also caught 127 passes for 894 yards. Yet he only has six career touchdowns, and seven fumbles. He has a run success rate north of 50 percent, but how durable is he?
If one can trust Dulac’s report, then the Steelers believe Kaleb Johnson is a better long-term option than Jaylen Warren. Even if that is correct, we will have to see how they approach a second contract. Do they look to re-sign him, or do they move on to the next rookie? They haven’t signed a running back to a multi-year extension since Willie Parker in 2006.
