Kenneth Gainwell Thinks He Can Out-Pass Block Jaylen Warren: ‘I Can’t Wait to Get in His Ear’
PITTSBURGH — Early in the free agency period, the Pittsburgh Steelers added Kenneth Gainwell to Jaylen Warren in their running backs room for the 2025 season, and in several ways, they have two peas in a pod.
Gainwell is a 5-foot-8 3/8, 201-pound running back with a 4.47-second 40-yard dash time coming out of Memphis. Warren is a 5-foot-8 1/8, 207-pound running back with a 4.55-second 40-yard dash time coming out of Oklahoma State.
Neither is big. According to Relative Athletic Score, Warren was in the 14th percentile in height for a running back in 2022. Gainwell was 17th.
But the similarities go way beyond height and speed. One of Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin’s favorite sayings is “big men running, little men hitting.” Warren and Gainwell are, objectively, little men — at least compared to other NFL running backs. But they also both love to hit.
Warren first made an impact as an undrafted free agent running back in 2022 during the backs-on-backers drill at training camp, showing not just an aptitude for blocking but an aggressive love for contact that isn’t typical for a running back.
That’s the first thing that stood out to Gainwell, when he first noticed Warren from afar.
“I love how physical he is,” Gainwell said in his introductory press conference last week.
Gainwell is a pass protection pro, as well. Serving as the change of pace to Saquon Barkley with the Eagles last year, and despite the fact that Philadelphia was one of the most run-heavy teams in the league last year, Gainwell was a pass blocker on 23.1% of his snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s the 11th-most in the NFL.
While he recognizes Warren’s affinity for physicality, Gainwell is not ready to cede primacy in that arena to his new teammate.
“He likes it — I love it,” Gainwell said. “I can’t wait to get in his ear and see what techniques he has that I can add to my game and maybe some things he can add to his game and make each other better. I can’t wait to get the opportunity to talk to him.”
Sounds like in this year’s backs on backs drills, there won’t just be a competition between the running backs and the linebackers, but to see which running back emerges as the best.
The real winner? Whoever emerges as the team’s quarterback.
“If I can protect the quarterback, we can win more,” Gainwell said.