Tag: Jaylen Warren

Steelers HC Mike Tomlin hints at 5th-year option for RB Najee Harris

Najee Harris was the Steelers first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have several big contract decisions to make this offseason. None will be bigger than the decision the front office has to make about whether or not to pick up the fifth-year option on running back Najee Harris.

Harris was the Steelers first-round pick in 2021 out of the University of Alabama. Through his first three seasons, Harris has 3,269 rushing yards, 866 receiving yards and 28 total touchdowns. Harris has topped 1,000 rushing yards every season.

During his final press conference of the season, head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about Harris and the fifth-year option and Tomlin didn’t have to say much for it to seem the team is leaning toward giving Harris the option.

“He’s been what we needed him to be,” Tomlin said. In 2023, Harris became part of a two-headed rushing attack with Jaylen Warren. Will the emergence of Warren hurt Harris’ leverage with the fifth-year option and a new contract?

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Steelers vs Ravens: 3 bold predictions for this week

The Steelers run game takes over in the bad weather this week.

We are just a few hours from kickoff between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens and it sounds like this game could come down to who can manage some nasty weather. Here are three bold predictions for this week’s game with a spot in the playoffs on the line.

Steelers RB Najee Harris has epic response to winning Angry Runs

Najee Harris gives the credit for his big game to the guys who block for him.

A running back is only as good as his offensive line (for the most part, anyway). The resurgence of the Pittsburgh Steelers run game has been a combination of excellent offensive line play paired up with the hard-running Steelers running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren.

Last week, Harris and Warren were Kyle Brandt’s two finalists for his Andry Runs award with Harris edging Warren out thanks to his huge production and nasty stiff arm against the Seattle Seahawks.

To make it even sweeter, when Harris got word from Brandt that he won, he gave all the credit to his offensive line and tight ends who block so well for him..

The Steelers offensive line has seen steady improvement since rookie offensive tackle Broderick Jones was plugged into the starting lineup.

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Social media reacts to Steelers RB Jaylen Warren’s amazing block

Steelers RB Jaylen Warren dropped an amazing block on the Bengals Saturday, and social media appreciated his non-George Pickens effort.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had issues with their skill players blocking for their other skill players — specifically, receiver George Pickens’ lackadaisical efforts against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15’s 30-13 loss.

George Pickens’ run-blocking (or lack thereof) encapsulates Steelers’ dismal season

That kind of stuff can permeate an organization if you’re not careful, especially when Pickens came right out and dais that he wasn’t giving maximum effort because he didn’t want to get hurt, but running back Jaylen Warren was having none of it.

“I see where he’s coming from,” Warren told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It is what it is. At the end of the day, he was doing what he thought was best for him.

“Some people play the game differently. If I was in that position, I would have blocked for him. But we play differently, so…”

Well, on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals, Warren backed up his words with a ridiculous block to free receiver Calvin Austin on this seven-yard touchdown run with 14:21 left in the first half.

Twitter had a lot of nice things to say about Warren’s effort.

 

Steelers RB Jaylen Warren lands crushing block on TD run

Jaylen Warren showed George Pickens how to block for a teammate on that touchdown run.

Last week, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren was denied a short touchdown in part because wide receiver George Pickens opted not to block for him near the goal line. This week Warren was in the position to make a black and he showed Pickens how it was done as he paved the way for wide receiver Calvin Austin.

The Steelers have come out hot and fast against the Bengals with two scoring drives in the first quarter and a 14-0 lead.

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Steelers vs Bengals: 4 bold predictions for this week

The Steelers establish the run but can’t get the win this week.

This week the Pittsburgh Steelers have one final shot to salvage the season but to do that they must beat the Cincinnati Bengals for the second time in five weeks. The last three weeks the Steelers have found a way to sink a little lower each week and no one knows if they can dig them out of this whole. Here are four bold predictions for this week.

Steelers’ Jaylen Warren, George Pickens mend fences over missed block

Will George Pickens do his job this week?

Last week against the New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens made a business decision to hang back on a play rather than block for teammate Jaylen Warren. The play might have resulted in a touchdown, but Warren was stopped just short.

Pickens said he was concerned about getting hurt and that was why he opted not to do his job. When Warren was asked about it, he said that if the roles were reversed, he would have blocked for Pickens.

But it seems Warren and Pickens have made peace. According to Mike Nicastro, host of “The Jaylen Warren Show” podcast, Warren and Pickens talked about it, and Pickens assured Warren if it comes up again, he will block for him.

The very notion that this conversation had to happen is the height of absurdity and a microcosm of the Steelers’ season. Players simply choosing not to do what they are paid to do, and then publicly pinkie-promising they will next time, is asinine.

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Steelers RB Jaylen Warren offers sobering commentary on George Pickens

Jaylen Warren says he would have blocked for George Pickens but some guys play differently.

Sometimes, when you want to get your point across, it’s not about saying a lot, it’s just about making things clear. You don’t need to scream or yell and you can be heard loud and clear. That’s what Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren did with a single sentence when asked about teammate George Pickens making the conscious decision to not block for Warren on a run that might have scored because Pickens was concerned about getting hurt.

“If I was in that position I would have blocked for him,” Warren said.

This wasn’t all that Warren said but this is what mattered. Warren made it clear that injury wouldn’t have been on his mind. He’d have done what had to be done for his teammate.

Pickens has proven this season to be all about himself instead of the team. The only thing worse than his behavior is the fact that the team doesn’t seem to be doing anything to address it. Meanwhile, the next time Warren is out there, doing all he can to help the team win, he has to wonder if his teammate is going to make a business decision or have his back.

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6 desperate moves the Steelers could make this week

Mike Tomlin talked big changes this week but what can really happen at this point?

When Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin talked to the media after Saturday’s blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts, he said the team was going to change how they do things and nothing is off the table at this point. Realistically, there isn’t much the team can do to change their fortunes with only three games left. But here are six desperation moves (four of which are serious) the team could make this week against the Seattle Seahawks.