Jaylen Warren’s contract extension ensures him 2 things with the Steelers, but a lack of competition isn’t one of them
He still has to prove it.
Before Monday, Jaylen Warren’s future with the Pittsburgh Steelers was up in the air. A three-year career that saw him sit behind Najee Harris in terms of being Pittsburgh’s lead back, Warren has always been a bolt of lightning for the Steelers’ offense.
Now secured with a contract that ties him to the team through 2027, Warren is taking on a whole new role as the Steelers’ starting running back. The decision to extend Warren, despite drafting rookie Kaleb Johnson, caught some off guard, given the excitement around the rookie from Iowa.
So Warren has now achieved security and a starting role. However, as Mike Tomlin hinted at during his pregame press conference on Tuesday, two things can be true: Warren can be the starter and the Steelers can divide the labor efficiently.
Mike Tomlin names Jaylen Warren starter, discusses division of labor
“His progress, I think, has been very evident,” said Mike Tomlin when asked about what it means for Jaylen Warren to be named a starter. “It needs to be congratulated that this guy’s gone from an undrafted as you mentioned, to be the second contract business, and certainly he’s been deserving of that. Certainly, he’ll be our future runner. . .
” . . .But we’re not opposed, obviously, to utilizing Kenny Gainwell and Kaleb Johnson. At what time and to what degree, we will determine [that based on] how the game unfolds. Probably be somewhat determined week to week based on a myriad of variables, but certainly proud and happy for Jaylen and excited that we want to do extended business with him.”
What the deal signifies to me is that Warren is the team’s starter for as long as he doesn’t fumble. The Achilles heel to his game, Warren is a compact runner who offers an explosive skill set. Imagine a bowling ball, but with enough juice to hit its head on a goal post from anywhere.
The only time he’s struggled, and frankly, probably why he didn’t fully unseat Harris, is because he has a tendency to fumble. In his three years in Pittsburgh, Warren has seven fumbles. Harris, in four years and with a much higher workload, had one.
Part of that is due to his size. Warren’s stature is not typical of what the Steelers have employed. Think of the Rashard Mendenalls, Le’Veon Bells, James Conners, and Harris’ of the world. All of these players are close to, if not well over, 6 feet and 215-230 pounds.
That’s Johnson, not Warren. So Johnson might be the back of the future. And he will have his chance to increase his workload throughout the season, but it’s Warren’s job to lose.
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