Jaylen Warren has become the Steelers’ safest bet on offense, and that’s exactly what has Ben Roethlisberger uneasy.
Over the last three weeks, Warren has carried Pittsburgh’s attack, piling up nearly 500 total yards against the Bengals, Browns and Colts. In the Week 5 win over Indianapolis, he delivered one of his biggest games yet: 101 rushing yards, 87 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
That kind of production is hard to ignore, but Roethlisberger thinks the Steelers may be asking a lot of one body. On the latest episode of the "Footbahlin" podcast, the former Steelers quarterback questioned how much more Warren can absorb.
"How many touches can he withstand? How many can he handle?"
Roethlisberger said. "And I'm going to say this, and I probably shouldn't.
It will come across awful. Does the team care?
Running backs are - it's like, 'OK, we're trying to win right now. We're gonna just give him the ball, give him the ball, give him the ball, give him the ball, have him for a couple years, then time to move on.
"Running back's one of those positions that teams don't seem to want to keep guys around for seven, eight, nine, 10 years. That's because of the wear and tear on their body."
Warren’s workload has jumped after Rico Dowdle’s toe injury. Dowdle had 15 carries for 37 yards and four catches for 28 yards in Pittsburgh’s first two games, but he was inactive in Weeks 3, 4 and 5.
Dowdle is now trending toward a return for Week 6 against the Buccaneers, though Steelers coach Mike McCarthy has already said Warren will remain the team’s "featured player."
Roethlisberger didn’t dispute that part. He said Pittsburgh has to keep riding the hot hand.
"He's the best player on the offense right now," Roethlisberger said. "You've got to continue to find ways to get him the ball, or use him as a decoy. ...
I know you guys are sitting there saying, 'Well, Ben, make up your mind. Do you want to protect him?
Do you want him out there?' I don't know.
I'm trying to play both sides of this thing."
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