Will the Steelers produce a 1,000-yard running back, and if so, who?
For the past four seasons, the Steelers have had a 1,000-yard running back, and it has always been Najee Harris. Harris is no longer here, though, and Jaylen Warren has never had more than 15 carries in a single game. While Warren remains, they also drafted Kaleb Johnson in the third round, who has some bell-cow traits.
But unlike Harris as a rookie in 2021, when he rushed for 1,000 yards, the Steelers are not going to give a third-round rookie running back 300-plus carries. At least, it seems unlikely it will develop that way for Kaleb Johnson this year. They prefer a running back by committee ever since they found Warren, and even he wants to keep it that way.
The thing is, Najee Harris still rushed for 1,000 yards while splitting carries in the Steelers’ running back room. So the question is, will they give one running back the sort of workload that allowed Harris to put up those numbers?
Harris had over 250 carries every season, while Warren had never hit 150. But at the same time, that’s 250-plus carries that they have to redistribute this year, so how? I don’t think Kenneth Gainwell is going to see 100-plus carries, for example. Between Harris and Warren, they would have about 400-450 carries. If either running back can hit between 225-250 carries, they can probably get a 1,000-yard rusher.
Warren, for example, is averaging 4.8 yards per carry. If the Steelers’ veteran running back were able to do that with an increased volume, he could hit 1,000 yards with 209 carries. It’s certainly doable, and plenty of other rookies who shared carries have done it in the past.
But even Nick Chubb didn’t rush for 1,000 yards during his rookie season. Najee Harris largely did that through sheer volume. Of course, the Steelers should have volume at running back this year, which puts a 1,000-yard season on the table.
Let’s assume that the Steelers can produce a 1,000-yard running back this year, and even that there’s a good chance. Then the question becomes, who is the more likely candidate? Is it the experienced veteran in Jaylen Warren, who has previously thrived in a complementary role? Or is it the rookie Kaleb Johnson, who has a stronger college track record and seems to fit Arthur Smith’s scheme?
The Steelers are rebuilding, or reloading, whatever they feel the need to call it, after another disappointment last season. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. While they ultimately traded George Pickens, they have other decisions to make. The 2025 NFL Draft class is now behind us, so most of the roster construction is complete.
But we still have a long offseason ahead for Steelers football, or football in shorts. At least we can finally put the Aaron Rodgers situation to bed and move on to other things. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and filling holes as we go.
