How the Steelers Can Let Jaylen Warren Shine
Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Football in the Steel City has always been blue-collar. Dating back to the 1970s with Franco Harris and through the 1990s with Jerome Bettis, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been at their best when they have a powerful run game.
Perhaps that’s why former general manager Kevin Colbert was willing to use the 24th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft on Najee Harris. The Alabama product came into the league as an enticing prospect. Standing 6-foot-1 and 232 pounds, Harris was seen as a bell-cow capable of immediately improving a team’s rushing attack. The Steelers were desperate for someone to fill that role after James Conner left in free agency.
However, after three years of Harris serving as the lead back, it’s clear that he’s not the long-term answer. While he’s amassed more than 1,000 yards in each season, his effectiveness has left a lot to be desired. That’s why the Steelers decided against picking up the fifth-year option in his rookie deal. Even though current GM Omar Khan is saying all the right things, there’s little doubt that this is going to be the final year Harris plays for the Steelers.
“It was a business decision that we had to make by, I think, May 2. But Najee’s awesome to have around here. Love Najee as a player and a person. And just because we didn’t pick it up, that doesn’t exclude us from doing something with Najee for the long term. I’d love to say Najee was here and had a long career in Pittsburgh. He really represents us well on the field and off the field. But it was one of those things we had to make a decision on. We just felt right now it was the right decision for everyone. But I love Najee and I would love to have him here long term.” — Steelers GM Omar Khan via 93.7 The Fan
The Steelers were right in declining the fifth-year option, even though it would have been an affordable $6.79 million according to Over The Cap. However, they shouldn’t stop there. Knowing Harris isn’t in the plans going forward, Pittsburgh should look to get what they can for him now and turn the ground game over to Jaylen Warren.
While Warren isn’t a bruising back like Harris, the 5-foot-8, 215-pounder has proven over the past two seasons that he can hold his own. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022, Warren has already beaten the odds just to make it to the NFL.
He began his collegiate career at Snow Community College in Utah, where he was the NJCAA National Offensive Player of the Year in 2018. He then spent two years at Utah State before going to Oklahoma State for one season. The cousin of former Steelers running back Willie Parker, Warren not only made the roster as a rookie but also recorded 379 yards on the ground while averaging 4.9 yards per attempt.
That number grew in 2022 when he racked up 784 yards on 149 attempts — giving him an average of 5.3 per carry. He added another 370 yards on 61 receptions, giving him 1,154 total yards from scrimmage.
That’s not far off from Harris, who ended the season with 1,205 total yards from scrimmage. Harris had 1,035 yards on the ground with an average of 4.1 per attempt. That’s not especially impresive, but it was actually a career-high for him, as he was under 4.0 in both 2021 and 2022. While he saw a slight uptick on the ground, Harris became an afterthought in the passing game with just 170 yards on 29 receptions.
All these numbers explain why the Steelers seem to prefer Warren over Harris long-term, but there’s no need to wait. Instead, Khan should reach out to a team in desperate need of a running back (hello, Jerry Jones) and see what they can get for Harris now. They might not receive a lot in terms of draft capital, but getting what they can in the 2025 Draft is far better than letting him walk next season with hopes that he can fetch a comp pick in 2026.
That’s not the only reason for the move. The other is the impact it can have on their offense. Warren offers more explosiveness — evidenced by his longest rush going for 74 yards, compared to 25 for Harris — and is a superior weapon in the passing game right now. With Russell Wilson slated to start, he’ll need all the targets the Steelers can give him, and that’s why it makes sense for the team to turn to Warren in 2024, rather than settle for less with Harris this year.
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