A restricted free agent tendered at the second-round level last month, Pittsburgh Steelers RB Jaylen Warren has yet to officially sign his 2025 contract. Though still firmly under team control, he’s reportedly one of just two RFAs yet to ink his tender, according to NFL reporter Howard Balzer.
Undrafted out of Oklahoma State in 2022, Warren was signed by Pittsburgh and flourished. Quickly moving up the depth chart and increasing his role as a rookie, the three-year deal all UDFAs sign expired after the 2024 season. It left him as a restricted free agent, and Pittsburgh placed the second-round tender on him worth $5.346 million.
While potentially alarming, it’s likely only notable in procedure. The deadline for other teams to submit offer sheets to restricted free agents like Jaylen Warren, an attempt to sign them away, was April 18. That date has passed, meaning Warren has little choice but to sign his tender.
Theoretically, he could be angling for a long-term deal with Pittsburgh and not signing his tender as leverage. Until he’s officially under contract, he won’t be subject to attending events like the team’s mandatory minicamp in June. Still, Warren is receiving a big raise compared to his rookie deal, and signing the tender doesn’t rule out a long-term deal, though Pittsburgh hasn’t paid a running back on a multi-year second contract since Willie Parker in 2006.
Warren has carried the ball 346 times in three seasons for 1,674 yards and six rushing scores. A hard-nosed runner who is difficult to tackle, Warren is known for his burst, power, and limitless energy.
With Najee Harris departed for Los Angeles, Jaylen Warren is the Steelers’ current No. 1 running back. Pittsburgh is nearly guaranteed to draft the position this weekend, but that would only form a committee with Warren likely still serving as the starter on the depth chart. Hampered by injuries in 2024 that limited him to just 511 yards and a career-low 4.3 yards per carry, a big 2025 campaign could lead to an equally large pay day as an unrestricted free agent in 2026.
