Over the summer, there were some worries about Jaylen Warren potentially losing his role in the backfield as the season progressed. Through three weeks, he’s one of the only members on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense to truly look dangerous with the ball in his hands, and any worries about his workload have been diminished.
Warren is making a big impression on former Steelers DL Chris Hoke. Speaking on Thursday on 93.7 The Fan, Hoke was asked which Steelers have had the best start to the 2025 season.
“I think Jaylen Warren would be the one on offense,” Hoke said. “I think Jaylen Warren is a star in the making. We all know about him, but the guy is just explosive. He’s dynamic. He’s powerful. He does so well with the ball in his hands. I do like him as the third-down back. I do like him as the change of pace… My gosh, when he has the ball in his hands, you hold your breath because he’s dynamic and explosive.”
Warren’s now in his fourth professional season, but this is the first time he’s really had a chance to prove himself. He did well with his opportunities during his first three years, but had to sit behind Najee Harris, to the displeasure of many Steelers fans. Unfortunately, the rushing attack as a whole hasn’t done much this year. But Warren is still making defenses pay once he gets a sliver of space.
This catch-and-run is a good example of the explosiveness Hoke mentions. Warren catches this ball a couple of yards behind the line of scrimmage, and two defenders are already flying downhill. It wouldn’t have been his fault if he had only picked up a few yards here. Yet, he makes each of them miss with one cut and hurries past for 16 yards. Most importantly, this helped move the Steelers down the field in a tie game late in the fourth quarter. That’s when you need your best players to step up, which Warren did.
He’s shifty but isn’t afraid of contact, either. Warren had another massive play in a tie game against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2.
With Aaron Rodgers scrambling here, Warren does a great job of getting open. Once he catches the ball, his contact balance takes over, and the rest is history.
Statistically, Warren’s results running the ball have been disappointing. He has 132 yards through three games, and he’s doing it on just 3.1 yards per carry. While he would have liked to get his first year as the lead back off to a better start, he’s clearly dangerous with the ball in his hands. Nobody on the roster has run the ball well, and the problem lies mainly with the offensive line.
While the passing game has been quiet at times, Jaylen Warren is one of the only members of the offense to step up when the Steelers really need a jolt. He’s making big plays seemingly every week now. If he continues that pace, he may prove Hoke right.
