The Pittsburgh Steelers took down the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday in what was a surprising win for the franchise. The offense put up 30 points to get the victory, which was a bit of a shock based off of how the unit had looked in the first two games of the year. Cincinnati also had one of the most productive defenses in the NFL so far, so the Pittsburgh offense wasn't exactly set up to have as good of a performance as it did. One of the big factors in the great offensive day was the running game. It was so effective thanks to some offensive line changes, and the play of running back Jaylen Warren.
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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (30) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
The running game was not looking good through the first two weeks of the season as the workload was split between Warren and Rico Dowdle. Neither back necessarily looked good, but it was clear that the Steelers were getting more out of Warren.
Dowdle being injured and out of the Week 3 game allowed Warren to shine as he led the way in the backfield by a large margin. He finished the game with over 125 yards on the ground, and that included a couple of really impressive runs where he broke multiple tackles.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers spoke to the media after the win, and he had high praise for his running back after his great performance.
"What a tough guy." Rodgers said. "I've always had respect for him, playing against him and then being his teammate for a little more than a season now. He is one of the toughest guys I've ever played with. Can't say enough about his energy, the way he runs the football, the way he cares about his teammates. Glad he is on our team."
Warren has always been known as a tough player, and it is evident from the way that he runs the football. He is constantly bouncing off of tacklers and staying on his feet while fighting through contact. He was also tough in the win over the Bengals because he was playing through a shoulder injury that forced him to be a limited participant throughout the last week of practice.
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Steelers running back Jaylen Warren during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Rodgers is not the first player to speak highly of Warren. He is constantly lauded by his teammates and coaches, and he is certainly one of the more underrated running backs in the NFL. He can truly do it all as he is dynamic out of the backfield. He can catch passes, and he is also widely considered one of the best backs in the NFL when it comes to pass protection.
The offense had its best performance of the season on Sunday, and it is no coincidence that it was also one of Warren's best games of his career. He needs to continue to be a focal point of the offense.
Steelers' Need To Feature Warren More Moving Forward
The Steelers went out and signed Dowdle during free agency, and it has always been expected that he and Warren would operate in some sort of 50-50 split. He has plenty of experience under Head Coach Mike McCarthy as the two were together for several seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, but it might be time for the coaching staff to realize that Warren should be the featured back moving forward.
Warren is more dynamic and he is just a well-rounded player, and Dowdle hasn't quite found his groove in Pittsburgh yet. Dowdle has been a good back over the last two seasons as he rushed for 1,000 yards in each year, but he should no longer be getting carries over Warren. If Warren's production begins to fall off of a cliff, then it might be time to reevaluate, but until then he should be getting the majority of the touches on game day.
What did you think of this comment from Rodgers? Do you want to see more of Warren? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!
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