The Steelers’ backfield is starting to look like one of the more intriguing parts of their 2026-27 setup, and Mike McCarthy isn’t hiding how much he likes the pairing.
With Pittsburgh trying to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2010, the spotlight has naturally landed on Aaron Rodgers and what could be his last NFL season. But the roster tweaks around him matter too.
The Steelers traded for Michael Pittman Jr. to reshape the receiving room, and there’s reason to think that group can add some juice. Even so, McCarthy keeps circling back to the running backs.
Pittsburgh brought in Rico Dowdle on a two-year, $12 million contract, giving Jaylen Warren a new partner in the backfield. The move also reunites Dowdle with McCarthy, who coached him with the Cowboys.
McCarthy sees the fit clearly.
"To be able to get Rico here and pair him with Jaylen, it excites me because I know my personal preference as a play-caller," McCarthy said. "I don’t want to have to worry about what back is in there. ... We really got a dynamic one-two punch, in my opinion."
Dowdle arrives in Pittsburgh after a productive season with the Panthers, where he logged 236 carries for 1,076 yards and six touchdowns. That yardage total fell just three yards short of his career best from his 2024 season in Dallas.
Warren wasn’t far behind. He posted a career-high 958 rushing yards on 211 carries last season and also scored six times.
There’s already a little natural competition built into the arrangement. Both backs want the ball, and both know the other can push the standard higher. Dowdle put it plainly through the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
“Iron sharpens iron,” Dowdle said via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I’m coming out here to work.
He’s coming out to work. We’re just gonna feed off each other and make each other better.”
Dowdle’s path to this point has been a long one. The 28-year-old entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina and battled injuries early in his career before putting together two breakout seasons that helped land him in Pittsburgh.
Warren’s story has followed a similar underdog track. He also came into the NFL undrafted, and he came just shy of the 1,000-yard mark last season.
The Steelers aren’t alone in having a running back tandem worth watching. The Patriots have Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, while the Falcons can lean on Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr. But Dowdle and Warren give Pittsburgh a duo that could deliver real value this season.
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