There were many people speculating over the course of the Pittsburgh Steelers bye week if undrafted rookie running back, Jaylen Warren would receive more reps in practice and even challenge struggling ball carrier, Najee Harris for the starting position.
The two have had quite different seasons with the starter averaging only 3.3 yards per carry through eight games while the rookie is averaging 5.3 yards per rush. Warren spoke with the media on Thursday and while fans have been calling for the hard-running workhorse to be more involved, he said that nothing changed this week in terms of rep distribution between him and Harris.
Steelers running back, Jaylen Warren (#30) warms up prior to a 2022 preseason game at Acrisure Stadium. | Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Warren sees himself as more of a compliment to Harris rather than a guy who is here to jump in and take the former first-round pick's job just eight weeks into his career.
"No same reps. Obviously, Najee [Harris] is the main guy. I'm here to compliment him," Warren said to reporters.
Offensive coordinator, Matt Canada seemed to have a bit of a different opinion than the rookie. The play caller is very happy with what he has seen from Warren and believes he is certainly trending upward within the offense.
"When we talk about who's trending, I mean Jaylen has been explosive when you look at the plays and what he's done when he's on the field, blocking, running the ball, catching the ball," Canada said. "Obviously, he is writing his own script in my opinion from coming in where he started to where he is now. He's elevated and does a great job so we'll continue to use him. We gotta get the ball to the guys making plays. As always when you talk about him, he's done a great job."
One can hope that the bye week and two weeks of game rest were enough time for Harris to return to his rookie-year form. After suffering a Lisfranc injury in training camp, he has not quite looked like himself which has opened the door for Warren to showcase his skills much more often than Benny Snell Jr. was able to a year ago.
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If reps in practice foreshadow a player's participation in-game, Pro Football Talk's, Mike Florio would be incorrect in his report from Tuesday when he wrote that Warren will begin to get more touches on game days.
"And while it’s our understanding that this doesn’t mean running back Najee Harris will be benched (yet), Jaylen Warren will get more touches moving forward, per a source with knowledge of the team’s plans," Florio wrote.
Of course, teams and players may not like to release information in the hopes that a heavier workload from Warren may catch the New Orleans Saints off guard on Sunday in Pittsburgh. One thing is certain, however, Head Coach Mike Tomlin cannot continue to ignore the fact that the rookie is absolutely playing himself into more of a role in the offense, or he should be at least. They are both running behind the same offensive line. One looks hesitant and slow while the other looks explosive and decisive.
Steelers' Mike Tomlin on Warren's Future With The Team
Tomlin did tell media members during his weekly press conference on Tuesday that it is certainly possible that Warren 'writes the script' for himself to become the team's feature back if the trends from both ball carriers continue.
"He's quality back that's made some plays. Maybe he'll write that script," Tomlin said when asked if he was open to potential changes in the back field.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back, Jaylen Warren (#30) runs a drill at St. Vincent College during the 2022 training camp in Latrobe, PA. | Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Warren went undrafted and came to Pittsburgh from Oklahoma State. He is a downhill runner that has many people excited that the organization may have found a gem. The situation is tricky and political, however, as it could possibly create a bad breakup with Harris, the franchise's 2021 first-round pick if Tomlin makes the call at some point this season to promote Warren to be the lead back. It is something to monitor in the coming weeks.
Do you want to see Warren get more touches on Sundays for the rest of the year? Let us know in the comments below!
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