Jaylen Warren has been with the Pittsburgh Steelers since being signed as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2022 NFL season, and he's had some great moments, but he's never been the team's RB1. Now, with Najee Harris with the Los Angeles Chargers, Warren has a golden opportunity in front of him to seize full control of Pittsburgh's backfield. Based on what he had to say on Saturday morning, he's looking forward to the opportunity he's about to receive and is planning on taking advantage of it.
"I approached this offseason differently," Warren recently said, via the team website. "I did a lot more things for longevity wise, instead of my old-school training like just getting the cleats on and running 30 hills. I had to adapt. This game is about longevity. And like they say, the best ability is availability... "No doubt about it," Warren said of being ready to shoulder a larger workload, "and that's the way I'm training."
The primary focus on Warren's mind throughout the offseason was improving his longevity. He knows he's going to get the ball more than he ever has, and wants to take advantage of that.
Jaylen Warren has opportunity he's never had before with Steelers
While the Steelers believed in Warren enough to sign him as an undrafted free agent, they selected Harris in the first round of the previous year's NFL Draft expecting him to be their lead back for the next decade. Harris didn't quite meet expectations and was mostly inefficient as a rusher, but he started every single regular season game in his four-year tenure with Pittsburgh. Warren forced his way in as a high-end RB2, but he was never a bell cow. This season can be different though.
Harris, as mentioned above, left for the Chargers in free agency, leaving 263 attempts from last season available for the taking. A large chunk of those will go to Kaleb Johnson, the Iowa product Pittsburgh selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but Warren figures to at the very least enter camp with the starting role in his possession.
Now, it's on Warren to take advantage of that opportunity he's being given. His offseason preparation seemingly gives him the best chance to do so.
Jaylen Warren has right preparation ahead of golden opportunity
Warren has played a key role in Pittsburgh's offense for several years now, but he's never received close to starter's reps. Last season, his 120 rushing attempts tied him for 40th among all running backs. He's never received more than 149 carries in a single season. He's been mostly efficient as a rusher and has been a tremendous pass catcher out of the backfield, but it's a lot easier to be efficient in limited action.
Warren will be handed the ball much more than he ever has before, and he needs to be prepared for that. With that in mind, training differently to focus more on preparing his body for a larger workload makes a ton of sense. He went from playing behind arguably the most durable back in the league to being a No. 1 option. Plus, with Aaron Rodgers being 41 years old and the Steelers not having much other than D.K. Metcalf for Rodgers to throw to, they might end up relying on their ground attack more than Pittsburgh fans anticipate.
All Steelers fans can hope is that his preparation pays off. He has the right mindset, but ultimately, the NFL is a results-based business. It'll be interesting to see if Warren can take full advantage of the chance he's getting.