Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren is known as a complementary piece rather than the lead back. Yet, even with the team selecting Kaleb Johnson in the third round, he is likely to get a heavier workload this year.
Warren trained far differently this offseason than he had in the past. Instead of tirelessly running hills every day, Warren tweaked his diet and workout plans to longevity in hopes of changing his body so that it could allow him to shoulder more of the load.
“I approached this offseason differently,” Warren said to Steelers.com. “I did a lot more things for longevity wise, instead of my old-school training like just getting the cleats on and running 30 hills. I had to adapt. This game is about longevity. And like they say, the best ability is availability.”
Warren still has the chops for pass protection, too. Running backs coach Eddie Faulkner sees Warren taking it to the practice field like he did the first day he saw him as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State.
“Like they say nowadays, he got it straight out the mud. Like he had to earn every step of the way he had to when that league’s over. You feel that with KJ. You feel that with Kenny G. I mean, I think that’s the quality of the room that’s exciting. You know what I mean? They all have a little bit of a chip on their shoulder,” Faulkner said.
Despite an injury-filled 2024 season, Warren became the team’s lead back down the stretch. He finished with over 800 combined yards despite the hamstring and knee injuries he battled throughout the season.