Steelers running back Jaylen Warren needs to be ready for a lot of carries this season.
Last year’s leading rusher, Najee Harris, left in free agency. Warren was the Steelers’ No. 2 back in 2024, with 120 carries for 511 yards and one touchdown, and this year Pittsburgh plans to let him carry the load. When asked if Warren can handle more touches, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin answered, “Certainly.”
Warren said his whole offseason has been about getting ready for a big workload.
“I approached this offseason differently,” Warren said, via Steelers.com. “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.”
Last season, the Steelers ran the ball 533 times in 17 games, and Harris had 263 of them, or just under half. Quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson combined for 105, and they’ve been replaced by Aaron Rodgers, who doesn’t run as often. Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said when you lose half your carries, a running back needs to step up.
“Generally you’ve got 500-plus carries in a regular season,” Smith said. “You’re talking about 1,100 snaps. You would like to be on the plus side of 500. That means you’re in more four-minute. Let’s leave it at 500 carries to divvy up. That’s kind of where you’re at. Then obviously losing Naj, Naj for four years here, he was very durable, and that’s a lot of missing carries.”
Warren said he has “no doubt” that he can pick up the slack.
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