Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Stellar showing in dual role
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Warren rushed 17 times for 127 yards and secured three of four targets for 49 yards in the Steelers' 30-27 win over the Bengals on Sunday.
Warren had the Steelers' backfield to himself Sunday due to the absence of Rico Dowdle (toe), and the former took full advantage. Filling his usual versatile role, Warren came within striking distance of his single-game career high of 143 rushing yards, and he would have easily blown by that figure had an 87-yard run just before the midway point of the fourth quarter not been nullified by a DK Metcalf holding penalty. If Dowdle is unable to beat the short turnaround for a Week 4 road matchup against the Browns on Thursday night, Warren will be in store for another hefty workload in the divisional clash.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Cleared to play Sunday
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Warren (shoulder) is active for Sunday's game against the Bengals, Alan Saunders of SteelersNow.com reports.
A limited participant throughout Week 3 prep before being deemed questionable heading into Sunday, Warren ultimately received the green light to play. After splitting the snaps and touches out of the backfield fairly equitably with Rico Dowdle this season before Dowdle missed the entire fourth quarter of the Week 2 loss to the Patriots with a toe injury, Warren could be primed for a workhorse role in Week 3. Dowdle won't be available against the Bengals, leaving Travis Homer and Lew Nichols as the available depth options behind Warren, who played every offensive snap in the fourth quarter last week while Dowdle was sidelined.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Likely to play Sunday
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Warren (shoulder), who is listed as questionable for Week 3, is expected to play Sunday versus the Bengals, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Warren was limited during the entirety of Week 3 prep due to a shoulder injury, while fellow RB Rico Dowdle was ruled out for Sunday as a result of a toe issue. Assuming Warren is deemed active approximately 90 minutes before a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff, he should be the primary backfield option for the Steelers offense, while practice-squad members Travis Homer and Lew Nichols likely will be the complementary options.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Listed as questionable, should play
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Warren (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Bengals after being a limited participant in Friday's practice, Alan Saunders of Steelers Now reports.
A limited practice participant throughout the week, Warren gets a 'questionable' tag but may in fact be headed for his largest workload of the season. Backfield mate Rico Dowdle (toe) has been ruled out, and Steelers RBs coach Ramon Chinyoung suggested Friday that Warren will play, per Nick Farabaugh of PennLive.com. The Steelers otherwise have Travis Homer and Lew Nichols (practice squad) as their top alternatives, which could lead to Warren seeing more work on early downs while Homer takes over some of the passing snaps. An early kickoff at 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff allows Warren's fantasy managers to confirm his availability when inactive lists are released Sunday morning around 11:30 a.m. ET.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Limited Thursday while Dowdle's DNP
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Warren (shoulder) was a limited participant at practice Thursday while Rico Dowdle (toe) didn't practice, Alan Saunders of Steelers Now reports.
For a second consecutive day, Warren mustered up some level of practice participation while Dowdle didn't practice at all. Dowdle shed his walking boot Thursday, per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, but the veteran running back appears to be fighting an uphill battle to suit up Sunday against the Bengals. If Warren ultimately gets the green light to play and Dowdle doesn't, the former could be in for a busy day. Third-stringer Eli Heidenreich has been practicing without limitations.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: RBs to Start
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Rico Dowdle (toe) missed practice Wednesday and was in a walking boot. Dowdle is likely out for Week 3, which should give Warren a full workload. This isn't an easy matchup since the Bengals have limited Bucky Irving and David Montgomery to a combined 14 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown in two games, but Irving and Woody Marks did damage in the passing game. Irving had seven catches for 48 yards on seven targets in Week 1, and Marks had five catches for 27 yards on six targets in Week 2. Warren averaged 14.3 PPR points in two games against the Bengals last season, and I like him as a No. 2 Fantasy running back in all leagues if Dowdle is out.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Limited in Wednesday's practice
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Warren (shoulder) was listed as a limited participant at Wednesday's practice, Alan Saunders of Pittsburgh Sports Now reports.
The Steelers have a banged-up backfield with Warren and Rico Dowdle (toe) both nursing ailments, but Warren was at least able to practice in limited fashion Wednesday. Warren appears to be trending in the right direction and may be tabbed for more work this week if Dowdle is unable to play.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Idle for first Week 3 practice
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Warren wasn't involved in the open portion of Wednesday's practice and appears likely to be listed as a non-participant on the Steelers' first Week 3 injury report, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, Warren was present for the session, but his lack of involvement with his healthy teammates indicates that he's either receiving a veteran's rest day or is tending to an unreported injury. More information on Warren's status will be known when the Steelers release their injury report shortly after practice concludes.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Posts 77 yards as Dowdle (toe) exits
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Warren rushed 11 times for 43 yards and caught two of four targets for 34 yards in Sunday's 20-3 loss to the Patriots.
Warren led the team in rushing yards and came one receiving yard shy of Germie Bernard's team lead in a game that fellow Steelers running back Rico Dowdle (toe) exited in the second quarter. If Dowdle isn't ready to play in Week 3, Warren would be in line for a heavy workload against the Bengals. Warren has 150 scrimmage yards on 28 touches through two games, which is a similar level of per-game production to the 2025 regular season, but he has yet to score in 2026 after posting eight total touchdowns last season.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: To share backfield with Dowdle
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Warren and Rico Dowdle are expected to have regular roles in the Steelers offense during the 2026 season, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports.
With Kenny Gainwell moving on to the Buccaneers in free agency, Warren is the top incumbent running back in Pittsburgh, but Dowdle has taken Gainwell's place. Dowdle's previous experience with new coach Mike McCarthy in Dallas could dampen Warren's early-down role somewhat, but according to Graziano, Warren should take on the bulk of the pass-catching work out of Pittsburgh's backfield, as evidenced by his 139 catches in 48 regular-season games over the last three campaigns. Overall, Warren handled a career-high 251 touches in 2025, while Dowdle is coming off back-to-back seasons with 274 (with the Cowboys) and 275 (in Carolina), so both should be busy on a weekly basis this fall.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Splits with Dowdle in first half Friday
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Warren rushed five times for 17 yards in Friday's 17-0 preseason loss to the Jets.
Warren was the first running back into the game for the Steelers but split carries with Rico Dowdle throughout the first half. The two running backs had similar stat lines, as Dowdle rushed five times for 18 yards and added a two-yard catch. Pittsburgh's entire offense struggled with Will Howard and Drew Allar at QB, but things should improve in the regular season with Aaron Rodgers under center. Warren and Dowdle appear poised for a near-even split barring injury or the emergence of a hot hand.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: First-team split begins
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Warren and Rico Dowdle split first-team running back reps across the Steelers' first two training camp practices, Daniel Chavkin of SportsNet Pittsburgh reports.
Warren worked ahead of Dowdle on Wednesday but was the second running back up Thursday. While Warren remains the incumbent in this backfield and holds a steady role in the receiving game, Dowdle's arrival and familiarity with new head coach Mike McCarthy make this a murky situation. Warren's upside will depend on whether he can separate enough to avoid a full committee, and whether he or Dowdle gets distinct priority on early downs and near the goal line.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Slims down to 205 pounds
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Warren said Thursday that he's down to 205 pounds this season, Chris Adamski of TribLive.com reports.
Warren is listed at 215 pounds on the team's official site, and he looks noticeably slimmer at OTAs this week, according to Adamski. Warren set career highs as a rusher last season, carrying the ball 211 times for 958 yards and six touchdowns as part of the Steelers' backfield duo with Kenneth Gainwell, who left in the offseason as a free agent to join Tampa Bay. Pittsburgh replaced Gainwell with Rico Dowdle, and 2025 third-round pick Kaleb Johnson is also in the backfield mix after rushing just 28 times for 69 yards as a rookie. Dowdle is more of a prototypical early-down runner at 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, so perhaps Warren slimmed down to get quicker as a change-of-pace and satellite back after Gainwell was targeted 85 times in 2025. Across four NFL seasons, Warren has 167 career regular-season catches for 1,227 yards and two touchdowns.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Back to full participation Friday
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Warren (illness) practiced without limitations Friday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Warren missed Thursday's practice due to an illness, but his return to full participation Friday assuages any concerns about his availability for Monday's wild-card home game against the Texans. He's set to split backfield duties with Kenneth Gainwell against the stout Houston defense, which allowed the fourth-fewest rushing yards to running backs in the regular season.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Misses practice Thursday
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Warren (illness) didn't practice Thursday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
With a 'DNP' to start the practice week, Warren's status now merits monitoring in advance of Monday night's playoff opener against the Texans. The running back has two more chances to practice before the Steelers assign game designations for that contest Saturday.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Leading rusher on 14 attempts
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Warren rushed 14 times for 66 yards while bringing in all five of his targets for 33 yards in Sunday's 26-24 win over the Ravens.
Warren continued to pace Pittsburgh's backfield in carries and yardage while RB Kenneth Gainwell poached a short rushing TD while leading the team in receiving (8-64-0). The 26-year-old Warren handled his first season as the team's starter adequately, producing a career-best 211-958-6 rushing line across 16 regular-season starts. Warren and Gainwell figure to continue complementing each other in a tandem effort against Houston's vaunted defense next Monday for the wild-card round of the playoffs.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Limited to 12 touches
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Warren rushed the ball 12 times for 64 yards in Sunday's 13-6 loss to the Browns.
The Steelers' backfield usage remained consistent from the last few weeks, with Warren serving as the primary rusher but losing out on opportunities as a pass catcher. He managed to make the most of his opportunity with long rushes of 15 and 13 yards, and his 5.3 yards per attempt marked one of his more efficient performances of the season. However, given the split backfield in Pittsburgh, Warren is reliant on finding the end zone to have a strong fantasy performance. He has a good chance of recording double-digit carries in a win-or-go-home matchup with the Ravens in Week 18.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Logs full practice Thursday
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Warren (hip) practiced fully Thursday, Brooke Pryor of ESPN.com reports.
Warren was limited at practice Wednesday, but the running back's return to a full listing a day later paves the way for him to maintain his key role in Pittsburgh's backfield Sunday against the Browns. In the Steelers' win over the Lions in Week 16, Warren was on the field for 49 percent of his team's offensive snaps, while working alongside fellow RB Kenneth Gainwell, a game in which Warren carried 14 times for 143 yards and two TDs to go along with two catches (on two targets) for eight yards. Look for Warren to continue to be a focal point in Pittsburgh's offense this weekend, when the team will be missing top WR DK Metcalf, who was suspended for the Steelers' final two regular-season contests.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Struggles through illness Monday
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Warren (illness) rushed 12 times for 33 yards while catching all three of his targets for 15 yards in Monday's 28-15 win over the Dolphins.
Warren was a late addition to the Steelers' injury report Monday with an illness, which may help explain his poor individual performance in his team's victory. Backup Kenneth Gainwell took advantage of the starter's limitations and finished as Pittsburgh's leading rusher on a team-high 20 touches. It was only the third time this season that Warren's backup reached double-digit carries, so fantasy managers shouldn't hit the panic button following Monday's backfield shift. A healthier Warren will have an opportunity to reestablish himself as the Steelers' primary back in a road matchup against the Lions on Sunday.
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Steelers' Jaylen Warren: Suiting up Monday
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Warren (illness) is listed as active Monday against the Dolphins, Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official site reports.
Pittsburgh added Warren to its injury report Monday as questionable for Week 15 action due to an illness, but it won't stop him from being available to the team's ground game. He's received double-digit touches in every contest this season en route to averaging 15.8 touches for 77.4 yards from scrimmage per game while scoring six total TDs in 12 appearances. Having said that, if Warren isn't 100 percent healthy, he could cede some of those reps to Kenneth Gainwell and even Kaleb Johnson.
