The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t forgetting about RB Jaylen Warren just because they added Kaleb Johnson in the third round yesterday. After all, they are scheduled to pay him more than $5 million this year, and they’ll want their money’s worth. While we’ll have to see exactly what that looks like in a post-Najee Harris world, OC Arthur Smith made sure to bring him up.
“There are a lot of carries you can divvy up”, he said, describing the rushing load minus Harris. “We’re really excited about where Jaylen [Warren]’s at coming into this spring”, the Steelers OC added. He also praised Warren’s “extremely valuable” skill set in protection on critical downs, which he wasn’t ready to commit to a rookie running back unless necessary.
Earlier this offseason, they parted company with their four-year starter, Najee Harris. For his final three years, he shared a Steelers backfield with Jaylen Warren, who ate up more and more snaps. With Harris no longer here, it’s Warren paired with Johnson, supplemented by Kenneth Gainwell and Cordarrelle Patterson.
On distributing the Steelers’ running back responsibilities, Smith said, “That just depends on the game and where Kaleb [Johnson]’s at”. He described wanting to take some things off of Johnson’s plate. “Everything’s new to him; the rookie year’s long for these guys”.
That’s not how the Steelers handled Najee Harris as a rookie, who seemingly never came off the field. He stayed in for pass protection and even set a Steelers running back record for receptions. However, Jaylen Warren seemed to convert Steelers HC Mike Tomlin into a believer in a committee approach.
Broadly speaking, the Steelers have never exactly tested Jaylen Warren’s “bell cow” ability. He never recorded 70-plus percent of the snaps in a game, with only 12 of 50 percent or more. His career-high carries in a game with the Steelers is just 15, with only 12 double-digit outings. Granted, receiving is a big part of his game, but he averages under 10 touches per game.
In 2023, Warren had his best season for the Steelers, last season marred by injury. That year, in 17 games, he recorded 210 touches, 1,154 yards from scrimmage, and four touchdowns. He rushed for 784 yards and four touchdowns on 149 carries and 370 receiving yards on 61 catches.
Beyond his ability with the ball in his hands, Warren is also a very good pass protector. They have relied on him as their third-round back since his rookie season, and the Steelers signed him as a college free agent. They put a lot of trust in him from very early on, and the shiny new toy won’t change that. He is, after all, a big part of why they let Najee Harris walk in the first place.
