Najee Harris was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ lead running back for the past four years. He was a bell cow, playing in every game during that time. However, the Steelers let him leave in free agency this year. That left them with a hole in their backfield. At the moment, Jaylen Warren figures to sit atop their depth chart, but the Steelers have a number of running backs that should be contributors. Aaron Rodgers recently shared praise for Warren and Kenneth Gainwell.
“Kenny [Gainwell] was one of my favorite players to watch over the years as a changeup back with Philly,” Rodgers said Monday to Adam Schein on Mad Dog Sports Radio. “And I always felt like every time this dude touches the ball, whether he’s catching it or running it, something good happens.
“He’s a dynamic player for us, and I’m really excited about him. Jaylen Warren, a lot of people have known about him, splitting time, being a changeup back for Najee [Harris] for so long. But he’s ready to step in and have a greater responsibility. He’s a great player.”
Gainwell was taken by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2021 draft. During his four years there, he never transformed into a legitimate starter. However, he carved out a different role for himself. Gainwell became more like a Swiss army knife. His impact was felt as a rusher and receiver.
Last year, Gainwell posted 290 rushing yards on 75 carries, as well as 16 receptions for 116 receiving yards. He could be a fun weapon for a creative play caller. While Gainwell won’t be the Steelers’ lead back, Rodgers’ praise makes it sound like he should receive opportunities.
Like Gainwell, Warren has served as more of a complementary piece in his career. His workload has been bigger than Gainwell’s, but he still hasn’t been a lead back yet. Rodgers is confident that Warren is ready for that responsibility, but there might be some issues with that.
The biggest problem Warren could face is his fumbling issue. Ball security has been one of Warren’s biggest weaknesses for years. That reared its ugly head in the preseason this year, too, with Warren coughing the ball up in the sole game he appeared in. Can he protect the ball if he continues to get more touches? That remains to be seen.
Warren and Gainwell aren’t the Steelers’ only running backs, though. The team also drafted Kaleb Johnson in the third round this year. While Johnson might need some time to acclimate to the NFL, he has solid traits. He could emerge as the frontrunner in the Steelers’ backfield.
For the moment, though, there could be a greater division of labor. With the way Rodgers talks about the Steelers’ running backs, though, that shouldn’t be a problem. They’ve got several weapons at that position. Hopefully, they each make some big plays this year.
