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Jaylen Warren

Steelers Place DL DeMarvin Leal On IR

October 12th, 2024 at 9:03am CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like DeMarvin Leal‘s season has come to an end. The Steelers announced that they’ve placed the defensive lineman on injured reserve.

Leal suffered a neck injury last Sunday that limited him to only 12 snaps. Per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the defender is expected to miss the rest of the 2024 campaign.

The former third-round pick has spent most of this season serving as a linebacker while helping to fill in for the injured Alex Highsmith. Leal mostly played defensive end through his first two seasons in the NFL, starting six of his 23 appearances. In total, the third-year player has collected 33 tackles, one sack, and three QB hits.

In corresponding moves, the Steelers signed linebacker Ade Ogundeji to the 53-man roster and promoted linebacker Eku Leota and running back Jonathan Ward from the practice squad. Ogundeji caught on with Pittsburgh’s practice squad at the end of August and is set to make his season debut. The former fifth-round pick started his career in Atlanta, collecting 75 tackles in 27 starts. He missed the entire 2023 campaign with a foot/ankle injury.

There was also some good news on the injury front this morning. The Steelers removed Jaylen Warren from the injury report, meaning the running back should be back on the field for Week 6. Warren missed Week 4 and Week 5 while nursing a knee injury, and he’ll now rejoin a depth chart that’s co-led by Najee Harris.

Steelers RB Jaylen Warren Could Miss Regular Season Time

August 19th, 2024 at 8:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Jaylen Warren faces high expectations entering the 2024 campaign. The third-year Steelers running back may see his season debut delayed, however.

[RELATED: OL Nate Herbig Out With Torn Rotator Cuff]

Warren exited Pittsburgh’s preseason game against the Bills with a hamstring injury. He faces a multi-week absence as a result, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. The 25-year-old’s availability for Week 1 is therefore in question as the Steelers prepare for the regular season with many new faces on offense.

Pittsburgh brought in Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator this offseason, and that has led to the expectation the team will rely heavily on the run game regardless of if Russell Wilson or Justin Fields is used at quarterback. Najee Harris remains in place for at least one more season, but the Steelers declined his fifth-year option in the spring. That move leaves his future beyond 2024 uncertain, although missed time from Warren could lead to an increased workload in September.

Warren was far more efficient than Harris last season (5.3 yards per carry average vs. 4.1) and he posted 370 receiving yards. The former UDFA could be in line to take on starting duties depending on how Smith divvies up the workload in the backfield, but Harris could very well still find himself in the Steelers’ long-term plans. How the team proceeds with him next offseason will of course depend on his performance this year.

The Steelers’ receiving corps is led by George Pickens, but questions have been raised about their other options at the position as things stand. The WR outlook would change dramatically if a Brandon Aiyuk trade were to take place, although it appears the likeliest outcome in his situation would be a 49ers extension. If that were to be the conclusion to the Aiyuk saga, a strong running back tandem of Warren and Harris (with kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson in place as a depth backfield option) would be key to Pittsburgh’s success on offense. Warren missing regular season time would hurt the unit, although his absence should not linger too deep into the fall based on initial indications.

Steelers Notes: Tomlin, Sullivan, Pickett

December 13th, 2023 at 5:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers’ Mitchell Trubisky-quarterbacked losses to the Cardinals and Patriots are not likely to lead to a Mike Tomlin ouster. The patient organization is not expected to move the 17th-year HC to the hot seat, but some issues with Tomlin’s moves have come up within the building.

As of now, it does not look likely the Steelers will make another in-house promotion to fill the offensive coordinator role. Play-caller Mike Sullivan has next to no chance to follow in Randy Fichtner and Matt Canada‘s footsteps, according to Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post.

Although the Steelers received an initial bump with Sullivan calling the shots, it was short-lived. They surpassed 400 total yards for the first time since Week 2 of the 2020 season, but the team has endured ugly home losses in the weeks since. A former Buccaneers and Giants OC, Sullivan is working as the Steelers’ play-caller while Eddie Faulkner — previously the team’s running backs coach — holds the interim OC title. Both Fichtner (who replaced Todd Haley in 2018) and Canada (who replaced Fichtner in 2021) were elevated from QBs coach to OC; Sullivan is unlikely to make the same move. Some of Tomlin’s hiring choices have drawn questions inside the organization, and La Canfora adds it is likely ownership will play a role as Tomlin searches for his next play-caller.

Slow starts and the inconsistent usage of promising former UDFA Jaylen Warren have also confounded some in the team’s building, per La Canfora, but Kenny Pickett‘s status is also worth monitoring. Last year’s No. 20 overall pick has not taken off in his second season, and while he has not had much time to work with Sullivan calling the plays, the Pitt product has underwhelmed based on his draft status. Questions within the organization remain concerning Pickett’s development, JLC adds.

Two years remain on Pickett’s rookie contract, and although the Steelers’ next OC will play the lead role in this development effort, the team has seen its efforts thus far stall. Pickett sits 25th in QBR, after ranking 20th in a low-octane rookie season that did include some promising late-game showings near its conclusion. Pickett has managed only 13 touchdown passes in 24 starts; he has posted just a 6.3-yard average per attempt over his career. It is not yet known if the Steelers want to take the route the 2020 Bears took with Trubisky, acquiring a veteran (Nick Foles) to compete with the scuffling starter. But concern about Pickett’s progress is probably warranted at this point.

Tomlin, 51, did not receive an extension this offseason, but if the Steelers are planning to retain him for 2024 — thus far, all signs point to the affirmative — they will likely hand out another contract before next season to avoid lame-duck status. Once again, the well-regarded HC’s .500-or-better streak is in jeopardy. Trubisky is set to make another start, and the wild-card contender (7-6) is sinking fast.

Even with the Steelers’ penchant for coach stability, Tomlin has generated scrutiny in recent years. The team has not won a playoff game since a touchdown-less triumph over the Chiefs in the 2016 divisional round, losing twice at home since. The Steelers’ status quo may face bigger-picture questions in 2024. How the franchise, which is still positioned in a wild-card spot despite the recent defeats, reassembles pieces may well become pivotal toward Tomlin’s long-term standing.

Latest On Steelers’ RB Situation

August 22nd, 2023 at 8:59am CST by Adam La Rose

Improvement in the passing game is expected for the Steelers in 2023, Kenny Pickett‘s first full season as the team’s starting quarterback. Pittsburgh is nevertheless planning to rely heavily on the ground game, and a tandem or committee in the backfield does not appear likely.

The Steelers have used Najee Harris as one of the league’s workhorse backs since drafting him in the first round in 2021. The Alabama product has received 579 carries in his two years in Pittsburgh, the most in the NFL over that span. The impressive showings this offseason from backup Jaylen Warren have led to calls for the latter to receive more looks, but Harris is still in line to operate as he has during his previous Steelers campaigns.

“Najee is our 1, there’s no doubt about that,” offensive coordinator Matt Canada said, via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor (Twitter link). “We’re protecting him to get him to that point… We’re planning on Najee being Najee when we start the regular season.”

Harris dealt with a Lisfranc injury last offseason, and it comes as no surprise that the Steelers have given him only two carries so far in the preseason. Warren has similarly been used sparingly, but his 62-yard touchdown against the Bills showcased the potential he flashed as a rookie last season. The former UDFA totaled 593 scrimmage yards on 105 touches while taking a clear backseat to Harris.

Pittsburgh has been connected to the idea of only carrying two backs on the active roster to start the season, something which would not be a problem if Harris were able to remain healthy and continue as the undisputed No. 1 in the backfield. Efficiency has been an issue for the 25-year-old (3.9 career yards per carry average), but the Steelers’ efforts to provide him an upgraded O-line should help in that regard.

General manager Omar Khan‘s recent remarks about the financial state of the running back market pointed to a lack of desire to pursue a lucrative extension for Harris starting next offseason, when he will first be eligible for a new deal. A strong showing this season would help his market nonetheless, and he is poised to remain the focal point of Pittsburgh’s ground game in 2023.

Could Steelers Keep Only Two RBs On Roster?

June 23rd, 2023 at 7:38pm CST by Ely Allen

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.

Steelers Sign 14 Undrafted Free Agents

May 16th, 2022 at 10:31pm CST by Ben Levine

The Steelers have added 14 undrafted rookies to their roster:

Tucker is an intriguing prospect. Standing at 6’6″ and weighing 338 pounds, the North Carolina product undoubtedly has the size to compete at the NFL level. During his senior season, Tucker started all 13 games for the Tar Heels, helping guide an offense that averaged 468 yards per game. Owens also provides some intrigue with his ability to play multiple positions on the offensive line.

Steele and Watts could find themselves competing for a spot at the end of the depth chart. Steele finished his career at South Carolina with 95 tackles and three interceptions, while Watts had a 2021 campaign that saw him compiled 43 tackles and one pick.