The Pittsburgh Steelers officially listed RB Jaylen Warren as questionable for their Week 4 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, but per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Warren is expected to play on Sunday.
Warren popped up on the injury report on Thursday as limited with a knee injury. He remained limited on Friday, but the injury isn’t severe enough to keep him out of the game on Sunday. That’s good news for a Steelers team looking to establish its running game. Warren got off to a good start in the team’s Week 3 game against the New England Patriots, running for 33 yards on the opening drive, but the Steelers couldn’t carry that momentum throughout the rest of the game, as Warren finished with just 47 yards on the ground.
He’s also been a receiving threat for the Steelers this season, as he caught five passes in Week 3 and led the team with four receptions for 86 yards in their Week 2 loss against the Seattle Seahawks, while adding a receiving touchdown in Week 1. For the season, Warren has 11 receptions for 142 yards, a touchdown through the air, and 43 carries for 132 yards on the ground.
Establishing the run will be key for Pittsburgh’s success this season, and against a talented Vikings defense that has a knack for getting after the quarterback, being balanced in Week 4 is key to victory.
In addition to Warren, the Steelers will also feature Kenneth Gainwell on the ground. Gainwell and Warren split snaps in Week 1, and while Warren has played more the last two weeks, Gainwell will still have a role. The Steelers could also look to use rookie RB Kaleb Johnson, who Mike Tomlin implied was still part of Pittsburgh’s game plan during a press conference on Friday. In addition, the team elevated RB Trey Sermon from the practice squad, although Sermon and Johnson didn’t log an offensive snap in Week 3.
Along with Warren playing, the Steelers will also get S DeShon Elliott back after he missed the last two weeks with a knee injury. CB Joey Porter Jr. is also listed as questionable after logging limited practices all week. Porter hasn’t played since Week 1 with a hamstring injury. If he can’t go, he’ll be the second Steelers’ starting defender out, as OLB Alex Highsmith will also miss the game with an ankle injury.
