Insider: Steelers Embracing RB By Committee
PITTSBURGH — Najee Harris is going to run out of the tunnel as the Pittsburgh Steelers starting running back against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
But Jaylen Warren might not be far behind him.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said during pregame coverage on Sunday that he expects Warren to have a bigger role than he did last year, and to play more on first and second downs instead of being solely a third-down option.
“Of course, Najee Harris is going to be the starter, gonna get first- and second-down snaps Jaylen Warren, third-down snaps,” Rapoport said on NFL GameDay Morning. “But Warren is expected to get a little more first- and second-down snaps than usual, splitting carries in Pittsburgh.”
Warren had a higher yards-per-carry average than Harris did in 2022, with 4.9 yards per run compared to 3.8 for Harris. Warren ran 77 times compared to 272 for Harris.
Warren threw cold water on the idea that he and Harris are in any kind of real competition for the starting job late in training camp.
“No, it’s not at all (a competition),” Warren said on The Sick Podcast. “Originally, I’m here to complement him (Najee Harris); that’s the workhorse. That narrative people have talked to me about it. Honestly, it’s not like that at all. I don’t go in there daily thinking about it like, ‘Oh, I’m going to take his job.’
“You know, everybody that’s a fan of the Steelers, the roster, the staff, we all know we need Najee to win. I don’t care about that. When it comes to that narrative, I block it out. There will be critics everywhere, but they will have opinions. But that’s what’s great about this team. We don’t let it get to us.”
Harris’ season-long rushing total is currently set at over/under 975 1/2, which is less than his 1,034 yards in 2022. So the book-makers might be building in Warren’s influence already.
Read This Next
