Jaylen Warren has gone from overlooked to impossible to ignore.
For Pittsburgh Steelers fans, that didn’t happen overnight. They’ve watched him for nearly five seasons, and the only real surprise is that the rest of the league is just catching up now. Warren entered the conversation about top running backs with some national surprise, but his production has been building for years.
It started with the kind of debut that made him easy to miss outside Pittsburgh: as an undrafted rookie, he put up just under 600 yards from scrimmage on 105 touches. Then he kept climbing.
In 2023, he topped 1,000 scrimmage yards for the second season, finishing with 784 rushing yards and 370 receiving yards. He missed two games in 2024, but even then he was on pace for 998 total yards.
In 2025, he has pushed it further, piling up 1,291 total yards and eight touchdowns.
The Steelers appeared hesitant to fully hand him the backfield, at least at first. Signing Rico Dowdle suggested another 50-50 split was coming, but Dowdle’s injury changed the equation and Warren has made the most of the extra work.
He sits seventh in the NFL with 561 rushing yards, ranks second among all running backs with at least 50 touches in yards per carry at 5.5, and trails only Ashton Jeanty among running backs in receiving yards with 294. Warren has 10 fewer receptions than Jeanty, but he is just 18 yards behind him.
His 12.5 yards per catch leads all running backs, nearly two yards clear of Emanuel Wilson in second.
He is also one of the most productive players in the league in total yardage. Warren ranks fourth in the NFL in scrimmage yards, behind only Bijan Robinson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Jahmyr Gibbs. The efficiency numbers are just as loud: he is second in total EPA among all running backs, with Christian McCaffrey the only one ahead of him.
Over Pittsburgh’s three-game win streak, Warren has stayed hot. He ranks third in the NFL in rushing yards and EPA per rush during that stretch, and his 10 impact plays are the fourth-most in the league over those three games.
That surge has done more than pad his stats. It has given the Steelers a clearer offensive identity.
Their passing game still isn’t among the league’s most explosive, but Warren has helped close the gap. During the win streak, Pittsburgh ranks eighth in the NFL in success rate and is one of 12 teams with a positive total EPA.
Warren isn’t just helping the Steelers. He’s driving them. Aaron Rodgers may head to the Hall of Fame, but Pittsburgh’s ceiling now looks tied to how far Warren can carry it.
In Other News...
Steelers May Have A Sell High Decision On Patrick Queen
Patrick Queen has played well enough lately to make the idea of a move feel a little less far-fetched than it might have seemed a month ago. The Steelers invested in him to stabilize the middle of their defense, and his recent form has only sharpened the long-running debate around his value, especially for a player whose career has had stretches of inconsistency mixed in with obvious talent.
That is what makes the trade deadline conversation interesting, even if a deal still feels unlikely with Pittsburghs record where it is. If the Steelers ever decided to treat Queen as a sell-high asset, the return would be driven by his recent production and the belief that another team could see more upside there, but the front office would still have to weigh short-term defensive stability against whatever draft capital might be on the table. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Still Have One Trade Deadline Problem They Need To Solve
The Steelers are still working the phones before the NFL trade deadline, and the search has a very specific target in mind: a starting cornerback who can help replace the void created by the Joey Porter Jr. trade. The need is pretty straightforward from a roster-building standpoint. Pittsburgh wants length, speed and the ability to hold up in man coverage, and that narrows the field to defensive backs who can actually play outside rather than just provide depth.
A handful of names fit the general profile, and each brings a different mix of contract status, size and recent production. Some are more established, some are more gambles, but the common thread is the same: the Steelers need a corner who can step in and handle real responsibilities right away. That makes this one of the more important unfinished business items on their deadline board, because finding the right match could shape how comfortable the defense feels for the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Can't Afford A Flashy Move That Mortgages Their Future
The latest wave of NFL trades has only sharpened the conversation around how teams chase star power, and the Steelers have a familiar cautionary tale staring them in the face. Chicagos move for Jeffery Simmons came at a hefty cost, the kind of price tag that immediately forces a front office to ask whether one splashy addition is worth the long-term squeeze on roster-building.
For Pittsburgh, that is the real issue. The Steelers can dream about adding an elite difference-maker, but the better path remains the slower one: draft well, develop talent, and keep the pipeline stocked instead of paying a premium that could leave future classes thin. In a league where big swings can look bold in March and risky by October, patience may be the move that keeps the roster healthy for more than a season. [Read more 🡒]