The Pittsburgh Steelers figure to lean heavily on the ground game under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith in 2024. They might be shorthanded in the remaining lead-up to the regular season, however, after veteran Jaylen Warren left Saturday’s preseason game with a hamstring injury.
The injury is expected to sideline Warren for several weeks, putting his status for Week 1 in jeopardy, according to NFL Media.
The 25-year-old Warren, who has split carries with starting running back Najee Harris since last season, caught a pass from quarterback Russell Wilson in the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills. He walked off the field under his own power, but quickly ruled doubtful to return in the Week 2 preseason contest, which the Bills won 9-3.
Warren had logged three touches up to that point, gaining 14 yards as a receiver. Harris was also active for the game out of the backfield, while veteran reserves Cordarrelle Patterson and La’Mical Perine also got early carries against Buffalo.
Harris has technically been Pittsburgh’s lead ball-carrier for three seasons, eclipsing 1,000 rushing yards in each of them, but Warren is arguably the club’s most explosive player at his position. Undrafted in 2022, he carved out a major role as a rotational back in the Steelers’ 2023 lineup, approaching 800 yards on the ground and securing 61 passes for 370 receiving yards.
