Jaylen Warren Discusses Past Battles and Trash Talk with Patrick Queen

When asked at his introductory press conference if there was any Steeler he hated playing against during tenure with the Baltimore Ravens, Patrick Queen quickly answered. “Mr. Warren.”

He says everyone hates tackling Jaylen Warren, noting how physical he is throughout the game.

Queen won’t have to worry about tackling Warren anymore after signing a three-year, $41 million deal with the Steelers on Friday, making him the highest-paid Steelers free agent signing in franchise history.

During an appearance on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast, Jaylen Warren revealed that it’s weird to be a teammate of Queen because they’ve talked trash to each other as opponents.

“At first, there’s always tension—this side and that side (he gestures with his hands), but he’s one of ours now. He’s part of the Pittsburgh Steelers, so it’s time to bring him in and show him love,” Warren said.

“Yeah, during the game, I don’t really initiate the talking, I just play. But once they start doing it, when they start it, then I kind of egg it on. ‘Ok, it’s that time.’ I try to talk with my play. There was one time I was a lead blocker. This was my rookie year, and I tried to come back and crack him. But he hit me, and I flew. I thought he really smacked me. I was like, ‘You got that,’ and he was like, ‘That’s not going to work with me.’ So from then on, it was like chatter.”

Warren, the team’s second-year former undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State, earned a near-equal share of carries with incumbent starter Najee Harris in 2023. The small but powerful back combined for 1,144 rushing and receiving yards in 2023 — more than double his yards from scrimmage from his rookie year in 2022.

Warren and Harris both ranked top 10 in yards after contact per attempt among running backs with 100+ carries in 2023. On 71% of his rush attempts, Warren gained 2+ yards after contact in 2023. That figure ranked fourth-highest in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.