The Pittsburgh Steelers invested some resources into their running back room this offseason after Najee Harris left for the Los Angeles Chargers. The Steelers signed two free agents (Trey Sermon and Kenneth Gainwell) while adding two rookies (third-rounder Kaleb Johnson and rookie minicamp tryout Max Hurleman). But Jaylen Warren is still in Pittsburgh.
While Warren certainly was second on the depth chart behind Harris his entire career, he’s made an impact for Pittsburgh. But you might not know that based on the sheer number of new running backs with the Steelers. Will Jaylen Warren have a bigger impact this season now that Harris is gone?
Well, if he does, NFL.com’s Tom Blair might look all the better for tabbing Warren as the Steelers’ most underappreciated player.
“Warren played second banana to the solid but unremarkable Najee Harris in each of his first three pro seasons,” Blair wrote. “And his place in the Steelers’ offense might now be somewhat overshadowed by the addition of big-play receiver DK Metcalf and rookie running back Kaleb Johnson, as well as the still-unsolved mystery of who will play quarterback. How much will his workload increase now that Harris is with the Chargers? Who knows? But as a proven playmaker in his prime, Warren does stand alone in the RB room.
“He’s also one of the more potent forces in the league, at least on a per-touch basis, owning a career mark of 5.5 yards, which is sixth highest over the past three years among players with 400-plus touches. However muddy the overall picture might get in Pittsburgh, Warren should be able to continue to make a difference.”
Jaylen Warren has never been the bell cow in Pittsburgh. But he is quite efficient with his touches. He has carried the ball 346 times for 1,674 yards (an average of 4.8 yards per carry) and found the end zone six times. And Warren has been even more explosive in the passing game. He has caught 127 passes for 894 yards, an average of seven yards per catch.
Warren is fast enough to take advantage of holes, and he’s strong enough to give tacklers fits, too.
Hey @KyleBrandt time to give Jaylen Warren what he deserves.
ANGRY RUN #Steelers pic.twitter.com/ogjtLxgZon
— Josh Carney (@ByJoshCarney) November 19, 2023
So Blair isn’t kidding when he says Warren is “potent” on a touch-by-touch basis. He’s picking up more than half the distance to a first down each time he touches the ball on average. But nobody talks about Warren as one of the more dangerous offensive players in the league.
Part of that is the Steelers have struggled on offense. And Najee Harris has been the unquestioned lead back in Pittsburgh since Warren made the team as an undrafted free agent. Harris is not a consistent big-play threat. But he is a consistent and durable running back. That is important to the Steelers. And huge parts of the fan base loved Harris for that exact reason.
That’s why Steeler Depot’s Matthew Marczi wondered whether Kaleb Johnson or Jaylen Warren will carry the ball more in 2025. The Steelers haven’t used Warren as a primary back yet. Will they turn to him as the experienced veteran now? Or will they lean on Johnson hitting the ground and running?
If Jaylen Warren carries the ball more in 2025, I don’t think anyone will be talking about him as underappreciated anymore.
