Pittsburgh Steelers sophomore running back, Najee Harris hasn't exactly had the season he, or others, had hoped for. Through five games, the team ranks 29th in the NFL in rushing yards per game (88.6). For himself personally, Harris is averaging just 3.2 yards per carry in five games. In total, he has 322 rushing yards on 69 carries and two total touchdowns. While the team was behind from the start in Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Steelers star running back wasn't effective when he did get chances.
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Harris ran for a season-low 20 yards on 11 carries, just 1.8 yards per carry. On the flip side, rookie backup, Jaylen Warren did quite well in his limited opportunities. He racked up 24 rushing yards on five carries, the third straight game in which he's shown flashes. Warren had just three career catches coming into Week 5, but he caught four passes for 39 yards against the Bills.
In fact, the undrafted free agent saw the field for 38 offensive snaps, just over half. On the contrary, Harris saw one less snap on offense. Head coach Mike Tomlin likely saw this blowout as an opportunity to give an extended look at Warren, but the rookie has deserved more snaps. Moving forward, it seems this will become more and more of a split backfield. Harris has dealt with an ongoing foot injury since suffering it in training camp, and he clearly isn't the same guy. Too often, he's looked hesitant behind the offensive line.
In his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Tomlin addressed the running back situation. Specifically, he talked about Warren proving that he's a "varsity" player over these past few weeks. In other words, he's saying the backup running back has shown that he belongs at this level. Tomlin acknowledged that Warren has earned the right to continue to get more snaps as the season evolves.
"You know, we've been playing Jaylen [Warren] increasingly anyway, and I think that's gonna continue. He's proven that he's a capable varsity player," Tomlin said in his press conference. "We need plays from all parties involved. That has transpired and will continue to transpire."
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Warren has been quite the revelation for the Steelers, one of the lone bright spots so far this season. After impressing in training camp and into the preseason, he was able to not only make the 53-man roster, but be the primary backup to Harris. The team badly needed a backup running back to help spell Harris, as the likes of Benny Snell Jr. and Anthony McFarland Jr. simply didn't cut it in 2021. The front office found a gem in Warren, who was an undrafted free agent after the 2022 NFL Draft.
The team continues to not use fullback Derek Watt in the run game, as he's now seen just 16 offensive snaps this season after two on Sunday. He provides a ton of value on special teams for the Steelers, thus why he remains on the team. The Steelers need to get ahead more often in order to establish the run game and perhaps using Watt as an additional blocker would help.
Do you think the backfield should be a split moving forward? Should the team rest Harris until he can recover from his ongoing foot injury? Share your latest thoughts and opinions in the comment section below!
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