Tag: Jaylen Warren

Did Najee Harris fumble away the starting job to Jaylen Warren?

Najee Harris’ Week 15 struggles raise questions about his future, as the Pittsburgh Steelers may turn to Jaylen Warren down the stretch.

When it rains, it pours. While this seemed to be the case throughout the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 15 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles, it was especially true for one player in particular: RB Najee Harris.

Harris finished the game with six rushes for 14 yards and a single catch for seven yards. His poor statistical showing wasn’t the worst of it, however, as Harris’ worst play of the game practically sealed the fate of the Black and Gold.

In what many can only describe as heartbreaking, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense was beginning to make up ground, trailing the Philadelphia Eagles 13-20 with under five minutes remaining. Harris was on the receiving end of a toss play that QB Russell Wilson executed perfectly, but the running back completely whiffed on collecting the football. The Philadelphia Eagles recovered the fumble and extinguished the Steelers’ momentum by scoring a touchdown.

Harris, who is currently in a contract year, has been rumored to leave the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025 free agency. With costly plays, such as the one in Week 15, it may be time to call on RB Jaylen Warren to lead the Steelers’ running game down the stretch.

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Sights and sounds from first half as Eagles hold a 17-13 lead over Steelers

Sights and sounds from first half as Eagles hold a 17-13 lead over Steelers

Philadelphia established its passing game and was dominant on defense, but the scoreboard tells a different story as the Eagles hold just a 17-13 lead over Pittsburgh after one half.

Vic Fangio’s defense held the Steelers to just 80 yards of offense on 30 plays in the first half, but two costly Eagles turnovers and two Chris Boswell field goals have Mike Tomlin’s team within four.

With the second half set to begin, we’re looking at sights and sounds from the first half.

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Weather conditions impact Steelers-Browns Week 12 matchup early

Windy conditions define the first quarter of Steelers-Browns TNF, as Chris Boswell and Corey Bojorquez struggle against the elements.

While heavy rain, snow, and wind were expected for Week 12’s Thursday Night Football matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns, not much action could be seen on the field early on. That changed with Steelers kicker Chris Boswell’s 58-yard field goal attempt and Browns punter Corey Bojorquez’s wind-swept punt, both of which highlighted the impact of the unpredictable weather.

With less than 10 minutes remaining in the first quarter, Boswell attempted a 58-yard field goal that appeared to be pushed wide right by a gust of wind at the last second, giving Cleveland favorable field position.

The Browns faced similar challenges shortly after. Following a quick three-and-out, Bojorquez’s punt struggled to gain distance, largely stifled by the wind. The Steelers were almost in prime position to capitalize, but cornerback Beanie Bishop Jr.’s questionable personal foul penalty on the play set them back.

Will the severe weather continue to shape Week 12’s TNF showdown? Fans can only hope the Steelers can keep feeding running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren to counteract the wind’s effect on deep passes.

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Steelers injury updates: RB Jaylen Warren expected to play vs Ravens

Jaylen Warren is listed as questionable but expected to play vs the Ravens.

Despite being unable to practice much at all this past week, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren could play on Sunday versus the Baltimore Ravens. This is according to ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter.

Warren appeared on the practice report on Thursday with a back injury that forced him to miss practice on Thursday and was limited on Friday. This is in addition to starting running back Najee Harris who dealt with an ankle injury all week but has no injury designation for this week’s game.

The Steelers are averaging 138.3 rushing yards per game. This is good enough for No. 8 in the league. The run game has taken off since Russell Wilson took over the starting quarterback job.

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Jaylen Warren injury update: Will Steelers RB play against the Ravens in Week 11?

The Pittsburgh Steelers could be without Jaylen Warren against the Baltimore Ravens after he suffered a back injury in practice

The Steelers could be without one of their most explosive weapons in Week 11, as Jaylen Warren popped up on the injury report with a back injury.

Warren entered Thursday with no injury designation, but now it could be a game-time decision.

Fellow running back Najee Harris, who missed Wednesday’s practice with an ankle concern, returned to full participation Thursday.

Warren has 55 carries for 217 yards (3.9 avg) and five rushing touchdowns.

Will Jaylen Warren play this week? Injury updates for Steelers RB

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren is dealing with a back injury. Here are the latest updates.

A few new names, including running back Jaylen Warren, popped up on Pittsburgh Steelers injury report on Thursday that could impact their critical brawl with the Baltimore Ravens.

Warren, 26, is coming off his best game of the year in Pittsburgh’s win over the Washington Commanders with 14 carries for 66 yards and a pair of receptions for 29 yards. Unfortunately, he had what was a tone-changing fumble at the goal line.

A knee injury sidelined Warren for two games earlier this season. We’ll see if he can practice tomorrow; otherwise, his status for the critical brawl with Baltimore will be in jeopardy.

Jaylen Warren injury update

Warren was a full participant on Wednesday, so his addition is something to monitor. Najee Harris (ankle), who did not practice on Wednesday, returned to full participation on Thursday.

How long will Jaylen Warren be out?

Back injuries are no joke and, depending on severity, could be a concern. Given the injury is new, no official information is available on how long Warren could be out.

Steelers running back depth chart

Warren is second on Pittsburgh’s depth chart, and should he be sidelined, those duties would fall to Cordarrelle Patterson. The Steelers will likely elevate one of two practice squad backs, Aaron Shampklin or Jonathan Ward.

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Steelers injury update: Offensive star misses practice with ankle injury

Steelers RB Najee Harris missed practice on Wednesday.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, they could be doing so without their star running back. According to the team’s practice report, starting running back Najee Harris didn’t practice on Wednesday while he deals with an ankle injury.

If Harris can’t go against the Ravens, Jaylen Warren would be the team’s feature back. On the season, Warren has only 55 carries and 217 rushing yards. This is in seven games.

Harris has 645 rushing yards on the season and is well on his way to his fourth straight 1,000-yard rushing season to start his career. The Steelers also have veteran Cordarrelle Patterson who has proven to be a great fit in the Steelers new offense at running back.

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Fantasy Football: 12 running backs to target on the waiver wire

Audric Estime is the top running back to target on the fantasy football waiver wire this week.

It looks like there’s been a changing of the guard in the Denver Broncos‘ backfield.

Broncos coach Sean Payton hinted last week that rookie Audric Estime could be more involved in the second half of the season, and that’s beginning to play out. Estime led the team’s backfield in snaps (26), carries (14) and rushing yards (53) on Sunday. Javonte Williams (one carry and two targets) seems to have been relegated to passing-down duties.

Estime could be Denver’s new RB1 going forward, and he should be considered a top priority on the fantasy football waiver wire this week.

Elsewhere on the waiver wire front, wide receiver Cedric Tillman (50%) should be rostered, Dawson Knox (1%) is a streaming tight end option and quarterback Bo Nix (50%) has quickly become fantasy-relevant.

Today, though, we’re focusing on the running back position. We’ve put together a quick list of 12 running backs to consider on the fantasy football waiver wire this week.

Fantasy Football Running Back Waiver Wire Targets

1. RB Audric Estime (1%): Estime’s efficiency (3.8 yards per carry) wasn’t great on Sunday, but Payton seems to be a big fan of the rookie, so his workload (14 carries) will likely trend up in the coming weeks.

2. RB Gus Edwards (21%): Edwards (10 carries for 55 yards) split time with J.K. Dobbins (15 carries for 50 yards) on Sunday. Playing in a run-heavy offense, both RBs could be fantasy-relevant going forward.

3. RB Tyler Allgeier (50%): Bijan Robinson remains the star, but Allgeier (11 carries for 59 yards) isn’t going away. Allgeier has standalone flex value and he’s an extremely important handcuff in case Robinson is ever unavailable.

4. RB Trey Benson (16%): James Conner (17 touches for 113 yards) and Benson (12 touches for 87 yards) were both productive on Sunday as the Cardinals cruised to a comfortable win over the Jets. That won’t happen every week, but Benson should be rostered. Note that Arizona has a bye in Week 11.

5. RB Tyjae Spears (42%): Spears (10 touches for 51 yards) wasn’t far behind Tony Pollard (13 touches for 63 yards) in Week 10. He’s worth a look in deeper leagues.

6. RB Braelon Allen (22%): Breece Hall is obviously the RB1, but Allen (seven carries and one target) remains involved. Allen could be a flex option if you’re desperate.

7. RB Cam Akers (16%): Aaron Jones had an injury scare on Sunday before later returning to the game. Akers is worth adding in case Jones does end up missing any time. With Jones missing part of Sunday’s game, Akers got 14 touches for the Vikings in Week 10.

8. RB Ray Davis (19%): He’s just a handcuff behind James Cook at this point, but Davis proved earlier this season that he’s a capable fill-in option if called upon in Buffalo.

9. RB Blake Corum (16%): The Rams have been giving Kyren Williams a heavy workload, and Corum could be an extremely valuable handcuff down the stretch if Williams gets banged up.

10. RB Kenneth Gainwell (2%): Saquon Barkley steps aside when the Eagles have big leads, giving value to Gainwell and Will Shipley (1%) when Philly is a big favorite.

11. RB Keaton Mitchell (5%): The speedy running back returned to action in Week 10 and the Ravens now have a “three-headed monster” at running back. Mitchell is worth stashing, especially in deep leagues.

12. RB Jaylen Wright (5%): De’Von Achane remains the RB1 in Miami, but Wright might be taking the RB2 role away from Raheem Mostert. Wright got the second-most carries (five) on Monday. Mostert was targeted three times as a receiver out of the backfield but got no carries.

Bonus: RB Jaylen Warren (62%) is already rostered in most leagues, but double-check just to make sure he’s not still available in your league. 

Roster percentages for players listed in this article were sourced from ESPN. For more fantasy coverage, check out our fantasy football hub.

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Insider believes Najee Harris is unlikely to re-sign with Steelers

Ray Fittipaldo said that while Najee Harris’ play has been great this season, the odds of him re-signing remain low.

Najee Harris has been one of the best running backs in the NFL this season, ranking seventh in rushing yards with 592 on 4.4 yards per carry.

But in the eyes of Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo, Harris is unlikely to be back in Pittsburgh next year.

While making an appearance on “The Joe Starkey Show,” Fittipaldo was asked if Harris’ numbers were enough for Pittsburgh to re-sign the running back.

Much to the dismay of Steelers fans, Fittipaldo stated: “The guy is having a great season, but when you decline the option in May, I think, you know, eight, nine times out of 10, you’re not gonna go do business with that guy when the season ends.”

He was, of course, referencing how Pittsburgh declined to pick up Harris’ fifth-year option, which would allow him to hit free agency in 2025.

Could Harris force the Steelers to acknowledge his elite performance in his contract year, ultimately earning himself a big payday with the team? Or will Pittsburgh instead choose to re-sign the potentially cheaper option in RB Jaylen Warren?

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Could potential trade target give Pittsburgh three-headed RB monster?

While WR is a big area of concern for Pittsburgh at the trade deadline, the team should inquire about Chicago’s RB Khalil Herbert.

The Steelers’ RB room could go from great, to unstoppable with a potential trade for Chicago Bears RB Khalil Herbert.  Fans of the Steel City understand the team’s identity on offense and what they do well—running the football.  Third-string Steelers’ RB and kick returner, Cordarrelle Patterson, has been injured for the past four Steelers’ contests, forcing the the team to rely on practice squad elevations to alleviate depth concerns.

Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren form one of the most deadly rushing attack tandems in the league today, and a cheap trade for Herbert could make this Steelers offense even deadlier.

As Herbert has been used sparingly by Chicago, he would likely be relatively cheap to acquire. Steelers’ General Manager Omar Khan has a track record of acquiring great talent for far less than their expected market value, and Herbert could be seen as a layup for the Pittsburgh GM.

An acquisition of Herbert takes nothing away from the team’s need for a WR trade at the November 5th deadline, but makes all the difference in adding another dynamic playmaker to the running game.

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