Steelers' New Running Back Duo Could Be A Perfect Fit For Mike McCarthy's Offense

The Pittsburgh Steelers are about to have a completely revamped offense under newly-hired head coach Mike McCarthy. With many familiar faces, including future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers, there will be some changes to how the offense operates. With a ton of fresh additions, the roster looks dangerous on paper and there could be positive change to what fans are used to seeing with a more conservative approach. 

One area that need to improve is the run game. The Steelers were very dependent on their jumbo packages to really get their running game going in 2025, but with plenty of changes to the offensive line, the unit is looking to start fresh with the run game. 

That will pair with a different look through the air, as the front office added two key receivers to the mix to help Rodgers. There is one player they didn't re-sign that Pittsburgh needs to replace in a big way and that would be Kenneth Gainwell. He was a big piece of this team in 2025 and replacing him isn't going to be easy.

Pittsburgh made its attempt by bringing in Rico Dowdle in free agency. While he is a very talented back, he has a lot to prove in living up to that team MVP status that Gainwell brought. He was a consistent option for Rodgers to constantly dump off to and do other things differently to for the offense. Will Dowdle be able to give the Steelers similar production? That remains to be seen, but a duo between Dowdle and Jaylen Warren is encouraging toward reviving this group.

This is a strong core for McCarthy to work with. These two bring different styles for the offense to work with, giving the team multiple options to use across the field. Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo talked about this on Sportsline with George Von Benko on Saturday, discussing the different look that this offense will see without Gainwell and how these two will fit in together.

"I thought Kenneth Gainwell, obviously team MVP, he’s a great player, but now you have two different styles at running back and I think that’s going to fit McCarthy’s offense better. I do think you’ll see Jaylen Warren do a lot of the things that Gainwell did last year. He’s really good at that," Fittipaldo said. "Then, Rico Dowdle, you know, two 1,000-yard seasons — one in '24 and '25. One with the Cowboys one with the Panthers. Just a productive player wherever he goes. I think he’s going to step in and he won’t miss a beat in the Steelers offense either."

Fittipaldo believes that Warren will be used similarly to Gainwell a season ago. That will feature him in a lot more passing plays and available on the check downs. Perhaps that also sends him out wide as a receiver. With how talented this duo is, there could be some interesting formations to put them both on the field.

Dowdle has put up strong numbers on the ground with both the Dallas Cowboys and Carolina Panthers, which makes the future of this offense look great on paper. Two straight seasons with over 1,000 yards on the ground for Dowdle, matched with Warren, who was close to 1,000, but didn't reach it. 

There's a lot to like with this group and there's a lot of optimism to this offense coming into the season. New receivers, new backs, and a completely rejuvenated playbook. All eyes will be on if McCarthy can move the ball better down field than what they've done over these last few years.

Steelers' Offense Looks To Turn Page Under McCarthy In 2026

With an improved offense, the Steelers look to return to the playoffs and finally win a game for the first time in nearly a decade. Improving this running game and having a better offensive mind in McCarthy should help. Now with all the pieces, Pittsburgh needs to finally put it all together this season.

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