Shown here while being introduced before a preseason game in August, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren has carried a heavy workload in the offense over the past three games since an injury to teammate Rico Dowdle. (AP)
Few running backs in the NFL play with a more punishing style than Jaylen Warren.
No running back in the NFL has had a heavier workload in recent weeks.
Added up, that would seem to be unsustainable – at least inasmuch as the wear-and-tear on Warren’s body.
“It’s good,” Warren reassured Tuesday, five days after he’d completed a stretch of 176 offensive snaps played over a 12-day span for the Pittsburgh Steelers. “Obviously, I feel it (the soreness). But there’s a lot of resources and recovery stations (in the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex), and being in there helps a lot with it.”
During each of the past three games, Warren has set a new career high for snaps played – 50 during a Sept. 20 loss at the New England Patriots, 56 a week later in a home win against the Cincinnati Bengals and a whopping 70 during this past Thursday’s defeat at the Cleveland Browns.
Warren had never appeared in more than 43 offensive snaps in any game of his career until this stretch. No running back in the NFL has played more over the past two weeks (or even the past three-week span).
“Jaylen’s been a complete warrior,” offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio said. “He’s done a phenomenal job. He’s tough. So much credit to him for what he does in pass protection and in the run game. Certainly, we look at the (large number of) reps and monitor that and need to get him a spell if we can.”
Warren’s iron-man status was compelled by a toe injury suffered by running back Rico Dowdle during the first half of the New England game. Dowdle said Tuesday that he dislocated a toe during the first half of that game, and after being taken to the locker room in a cart had it re-inserted into place.
Dr. James Bradley and the Steelers’ medical staff advised him to take the rest of the game off, but the two-time reigning 1,000-yard rusher Dowdle successfully lobbied to return to that game for a second-half series.
“(Bradley) was like, ‘If it pops out again, you’ve got to be done,’” Dowdle said “And then it popped out again, so I had to be done.”
Dowdle missed the ensuing two games. He said that on Wednesday he will try to practice for the first time since.
“It’s about letting the (scar) tissue heal underneath so it doesn’t keep popping up,” Dowdle said. “Because if it keeps popping up, I have to get surgery and put a pin in there.
“It’s painful. It’s like I’ve got knots at the bottom of my feet.”
The Steelers recognize they want to try as much as possible to spare similar pain befalling Warren, who has spent his entire five-year career with the Steelers and as a “1A” of sorts complementing a partner lead back.
Dowdle was signed to a two-year, $12.25 million deal in March to succeed Kenneth Gainwell as Warren’s running mate in 2026. In the season opener, he actually played more (39 snaps) than Warren (25) – albeit, Warren had more touches (15-10).
Through two games, however, neither back was too productive. Warren had 89 yards on 21 carries and Dowdle 37 yards on 15 carries.
But since the Steelers decided that with Dowdle out they had no choice but to make Warren an every-down, “bell-cow” back, Warren has shined. Over the past two games, Warren has had two of his top three volume of touches games, two of his top four for carries in a game and two of his top five career efforts for yards from scrimmage.
“He’s a hard runner out there,” Dowdle said. “He’s been the heart of the offense these past two weeks, making a lot of explosive (plays) and doing good for us. So, definitely impressed with how he’s been playing.”
Warren had a career high in yards from scrimmage against Cincinnati (176 on 17 carries for 127 yards and three catches for 49 yards). Four days later in Cleveland, Warren had another 17-carry game, getting 93 rushing yards in addition to 33 receiving yards.
Warren had the Steelers’ three longest rushing plays of the season over that span (24-, 26- and 35-yard gains) in addition to a 30-yard reception.
“I just give credit to my teammates,” Warren said, “because they’ve been making it happen. They make it easy to make those big splash plays, so what I like for it is what it does for the offense and the team as a whole.”
What they have done for Warren is perhaps change the coaching staff’s perspective in regards to his ability to be a workhorse back.
In what in part is an indictment on the other running backs on the Steelers’ roster and practice squad – Eli Heidenreich, Travis Homer and Lew Nichols – the team has been highly reluctant to take Warren off the field during this time when Dowdle has been unavailable.
Coach Mike McCarthy said he hasn’t looked far enough ahead to consider if Warren might continue with a heavier workload even when Dowdle comes back.
“I don’t look at it that way,” he said. “I think it’s a benefit to Rico and Jaylen to have them play as a 1-2 punch type. That benefits (everyone). I think the most important thing is it’s a long year, but I’m still going to try to get the ball to Jaylen as much as we can.”
About the Writer
Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.