Jaylen Warren faces excessive expectations coming into the 2024 marketing campaign. The third-year Steelers working again may even see his season debut delayed, nevertheless.
Warren exited Pittsburgh’s preseason recreation in opposition to the Payments with a hamstring harm. He faces a multi-week absence consequently, Tom Pelissero of NFL Community stories, via Grant Gordon of the NFL web site. The 25-year-old’s availability for Week 1 is due to this fact in query because the Steelers put together for the common season with many new faces on offense.
Pittsburgh introduced in Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator this offseason, and that has led to the expectation the group will rely closely on the run recreation no matter if Russell Wilson or Justin Fields is used at quarterback. Najee Harris stays in place for at the very least yet another season, however the Steelers declined his fifth-year option within the spring. That transfer leaves his future past 2024 unsure, though missed time from Warren might result in an elevated workload in September.
Warren was much more environment friendly than Harris final season (5.3 yards per carry common vs. 4.1) and he posted 370 receiving yards. The previous UDFA may very well be in line to tackle beginning duties relying on how Smith divvies up the workload within the backfield, however Harris might very effectively nonetheless find himself in the Steelers’ long-term plans. How the group proceeds with him subsequent offseason will in fact rely on his efficiency this yr.
The Steelers’ receiving corps is led by George Pickens, however questions have been raised about their different choices on the place. The WR outlook would change dramatically if a Brandon Aiyuk commerce had been to happen, though it seems the likeliest end result in his scenario can be a 49ers extension. If that had been to be the conclusion to the Aiyuk saga, a robust working again tandem of Warren and Harris (with kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson in place as a depth backfield possibility) can be key to Pittsburgh’s success on offense. Warren lacking common season time would harm the unit, though his absence mustn’t linger too deep into the autumn based mostly on preliminary indications.
