Mike Tomlin: Steelers Will Play Jaylen Warren More in Future

PITTSBURGH — Najee Harris has not been off to the start that the Steelers wish he was, but undrafted free agent running back Jaylen Warren has been the surprise they’ve needed. With Harris getting injured with a lisfranc injury early in camp, it was Warren who stepped up in a big way to fill the void.

His impressive preseason and training camp play has carried over into the regular season action. In fact, Warren has already won the third down job with his great pass protection skills. As a runner, he is a tough, skilled runner who hits the hole with urgency and aggression.

He outsnapped Harris 38 to 37 in their blowout loss to the Bills. Is that a sign of things to come? Mike Tomlin did not shoot down the possibility, and the play of Warren has earned him more playing time in his eyes.

“We’ve been playing Jaylen increasingly anyway, and I think that’s going to continue,” Tomlin said. “He’s proven that he’s a capable, varsity player. We need more plays from all parties involved. So, that has transpired and will continue to transpire.”

The Steelers will go into a row of games that they likely need to win at least one of in order to stay afloat in the playoff and divisional race. While Jaylen Warren will not fix everything, his jolt of energy into the Pittsburgh backfield is one of the positives of the offense. It looks as if that will continue.