In 2022, five running backs (including one fullback) recorded carries for the Steelers offense. Starter Najee Harris and then-rookie Jaylen Warren accounted for 91 percent of those carries (349 of 384 total). The next two most-active carriers, Benny Snell and Derek Watt, are currently free agents, while Anthony McFarland is on a reserve/futures contract after spending last season on the team’s practice squad. All signs are pointing to an offense heavily featuring Harris and Warren, but is it possible that Pittsburgh would go so far as to only keep two running backs on their roster going into the 2023 season? Mark Kaboly of The Athletic seems to think so. Let’s break it down. 
First of all, the name of the game for NFL running backs these days is “youth.” With a 25-year-old Harris heading into his third NFL season and a 24-year-old Warren heading into his second, the Steelers may be better set up than any team to roll confidently with two backs for a full season. Harris hasn’t missed a game since entering the NFL, and after leading the NFL in touches as a rookie, he shouldered another heavy load last year with the sixth-most touches in the league.
Warren wasn’t asked to do much in his rookie season. He only averaged about five carries per game, but despite playing less than half the number of snaps as Harris, Warren showed he has potential catching out of the backfield. He recorded 15 fewer receiving yards than Harris, but Warren averaged 7.6 yards per catch to Harris’s 5.6. He fits as an ideal relief back for Harris who can slide in on passing downs when needed. He hasn’t shown that he can carry the team if needed, but neither has any other back on their roster. Plus, Harris hasn’t put Pittsburgh in that position yet during his short career.
McFarland is struggling to hold on to a roster spot in Pittsburgh. After appearing in 11 games as a rookie in 2020, McFarland has only appeared in three games in the two seasons since. The team waived him in its final roster cuts before last season, negating his four-year rookie contract, before signing him to the practice squad and, eventually, a futures contract.
Pittsburgh also signed running back Jason Huntley to a futures contract this offseason after he spent the 2022 season on the practice squad. Huntley has 18 career carries for the Eagles over his first two years in the league but didn’t contribute at all to the Steelers offense last year.
Additionally, the team signed three undrafted free agents: small school backs Darius Hagans out of Virginia State and Alfonzo Graham out of Morgan State as well as Iowa fullback Monte Pottebaum. Hagans and Graham put up strong 2022 seasons for the Trojans and Bears, respectively, but neither is really considered a big threat to push Warren for backup or receiving back duties. Pottebaum was a distinguished scholar at Iowa and a strong special teams contributor.
Of all the above-mentioned backs, McFarland and Pottebaum have the strongest cases for making the 53-man roster with Harris and Warren. Special teams coordinator Danny Smith reportedly has a number of holes to fill in his units, but if he can do so without McFarland or Pottebaum, their chances of making the team will plummet.
Pottebaum has the added opportunity of solidifying himself as a true fullback, filling the void left by Watt. Even that’s not a sure thing, though, as tight end Connor Heyward could always revert back to that role, if needed. Before playing his redshirt senior season and his rookie NFL season at tight end, Heyward spent four years at Michigan State as a stout running back. If the Steelers decided to utilize his blocking and receiving abilities in a fullback/H-back type of role, they may continue to carry four tight ends on the roster in lieu of a third running back.
So, there you have it. As insane as it may seem in today’s NFL, the Steelers may be well on their way to carrying only two running backs on their 53-man roster. They fully trust Harris and Warren to carry out the duties of the room between them, and they can always cheat a little by borrowing a bit from the tight end room, if necessary.
They will carry more than 2 Rb. If they don’t any injury would be a disaster. I hate the Steelers, so I hope they try to carry only 2 RB.
Which RB would you like to keep on the roster … who would be better than someone we could keep on the practice squad.
It’s not a question of talent at this point. You can bring up practice squad player or sign someone else, but he will need to learn the playbook and, more importantly, the offensive line tendencies to allow the Steelers to run anything more than the simplest offense.
Harris and Bleier returning?
Well, Najee is a lock…
Barry foster??
Bam Morris?
Le’Veon Bell is available…lol.
Or…Kaboly is sitcom level dumb and there is zero chance that this will occur.
Fast Willie Parker!
Harris is a big guy, but he shouldered a lot of Carrie’s and runs hard into contact. The Steelers didn’t given him much option either, with their offensive line being just ghastly horrid his first year and still not good in his second. Harris has taken a lot of hits in that time. Even if he hasn’t missed time, I guarantee that he’s taken a beating. It would be foolish to continue to run him so hard without adequate contingencies in place.
Warren is smaller, but also runs very hard for his size. Seeing either player injured would not be a shock, and the Steelers will certainly another back to help a still youthful Pickett and the new wife receiving corps.
I take it that autocorrect has messed with your post, otherwise I’ll have to ask my wife if she’s ever been shouldered by Najee Harris or if she’s part of the “wife receiving corps.”
Lol yes, as usual Autocorrect that decided that certain words don’t exist, and apparently, neither does grammar. That post got slaughtered.
Two RBs could work if the Steelers had someone like Lamar at QB or they shifted their play distribution to about 70% passes. James Conner has gained over 1000 scrimmage yards for the Cardinals each of the past 2 seasons so Pittsburgh probably should have kept him around as a solid substitute.
Trying to replicate the 49ers QB disaster from last season?
Owners might not care about winning but they ALWAYS care about saving a few bucks.
Please just give me Clinton Portis
Pretty sure the Steelers have never gone into a season with only 2 RB’s in the 38 years I’ve been alive. Adding in the fact that the franchise is more firmly rooted in consistency, tradition and belief in their system than almost any other pro sports team leads me to believe there’s no chance they go with only two RB’s.