Jaylen Warren has turned his strong start into a real financial problem for the Steelers.
After Pittsburgh bounced back in Week 5 with a 34-22 win over the Indianapolis Colts, Warren’s role in the 3-2 start only looked bigger. He has been the team’s best offensive player through five games, and that kind of production tends to change the conversation fast. The Steelers already signed him to a two-year, $11.9 million extension back in 2025, but that deal is down to its final year next season, and he is lined up to make $7.1 million in 2027.
Warren has made his case on both sides of the offense. On the ground, he’s tied for sixth in the NFL with 410 rushing yards and sits second in yards per carry at 5.9, with one rushing touchdown. Through the air, he leads Pittsburgh with 19 catches for 230 yards and another score.
That versatility has made him one of the most dangerous pieces in Mike McCarthy’s offense. Aaron Rodgers keeps finding him as a fast outlet, and with Rico Dowdle working through a toe injury, Warren has fully claimed the RB1 job.
The big-play numbers back it up. The 27-year-old has already produced four runs of 20-plus yards and three receptions of 20-plus yards in 2026. Pittsburgh has gotten real mileage out of leaning on him, and the front office is going to have to decide whether to let that bargain price linger.
The Steelers do not negotiate with players during the season, but if Warren keeps rolling like this, another extension will be hard to avoid. Running back salaries have shifted enough that his current outlook feels light.
In 2026, 16 running backs are making at least $10 million per year, and 12 are projected to clear that mark next season. Warren, by comparison, is slated to make $5.1 million per Spotrac.
That number is even lower than what Dowdle is projected to earn in 2027, at $6 million.
So the path here is pretty clear: the Steelers will have to move beyond the old deal and build something new. A contract in the $10-$12 million range would pay Warren what he’s earned while keeping one of Pittsburgh’s top players without blowing up the cap sheet.
That kind of agreement would make sense for both sides. Warren would get security and a better paycheck. The Steelers would keep a key offensive weapon in place.
The top 10 highest-paid running backs for 2027 are all at $13 million or more, but Warren doesn’t need to be in that tier for a new deal to work. An extension in the lower double digits would still fit the player and the market. If he keeps producing at this level, that’s the number he’ll be chasing in the coming months.
In Other News...
Steelers Suddenly Have A Receiver Problem They Cant Ignore
A week after the win over the Colts, the Steelers are suddenly short on answers at wide receiver. Injuries have piled up across the room, leaving only three healthy receivers from the original 53-man roster heading into Week 6 and forcing the team to confront a depth problem it cannot simply brush off.
With the Buccaneers up next, the front office is at least being pushed to consider outside help, and the market offers a few familiar names who could plausibly be available. Jauan Jennings, Calvin Ridley, Jerry Jeudy and Brian Thomas all sit in the mix as speculative targets, a reminder that Pittsburgh may need to weigh both the urgency of the moment and the cost of fixing a position group that has suddenly become thin. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Tomlin Still Feels Like A Steeler In One Important Way
Mike Tomlin may no longer be pacing the Steelers sideline, but he still sounds like someone who spent nearly two decades inside the building. After ending his 19-year run as Pittsburghs head coach following the 2025 season, Tomlin has moved into an NFL analyst role, and he recently acknowledged on a podcast that his long association with the franchise still shapes the way he sees it. For a fan base used to hearing his voice around the team every week, that lingering connection is hardly a surprise.
Pittsburgh is now trying to settle in under Mike McCarthy, who has guided the club to a 3-2 start heading into Week 6. The Steelers are still sorting through the early stages of a new coaching era, and Tomlins presence in the media only adds another layer to how the team is being watched from the outside. Even in a different job, he remains tied to the franchise in a way that feels hard to shake. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Trade Deadline Search Puts One Roster Need In The Spotlight
With the Nov. 10 trade deadline approaching, the Steelers search for help has put wide receiver front and center. Injuries have thinned the position enough to make outside additions worth exploring, and ESPN analysts have already floated a list of possible targets that includes Rashod Bateman, Quentin Johnston, Jauan Jennings and Jerry Jeudy, giving a clearer sense of the type of receiver market Pittsburgh may be forced to work through.
The fit, though, is far from simple. Some of the names come with obvious hurdles, whether it is the challenge of prying a player loose from another roster or the uncertainty around how realistic any deal actually is, and the Steelers also have to weigh how much they want to chase help at a spot that has become such an obvious need. As the deadline gets closer, Pittsburgh appears to be testing the market while knowing the most intriguing options may be the hardest ones to land. [Read more 🡒]