The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t take Labor Day off, inking veteran running back Jaylen Warren to a new deal ahead of the season starting this week. While terms aren’t disclosed yet, it is reported as a two-year extension with $12 million of guaranteed money.
Steelers nation should be celebrating right now.
While it may not seem like the most important move for the franchise, locking up your talented players always makes sense. Warren is a dependable threat out of the backfield and should be a key component on offense for the foreseeable future.
This is a win for the team, assuming the financials aren’t that bad. Even if the money comes in on the higher side, the deal is for only a few years, so the long-term risk is mitigated. And let’s not forget, Warren has earned this deal.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were wise to lock up Jaylen Warren
Warren has been a huge addition to the team ever since joining Pittsburgh as an undrafted free agent. He quickly established himself as a good backup before taking on the third-down duties and, eventually, becoming a co-starter for the offense.
He runs hard, has deceptive burst, can block, and has great hands. He is everything you want in a running back. While there are concerns with overusing him (he likely can’t handle a true bell-cow workload), he is a perfect committee running back.
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For all of you Kaleb Johnson fans against this deal, fear not. Warren was always going to be the starter for the first part of the season. If Johnson earns a bigger role, then their snaps can be split more evenly.
Long-term, this means Johnson may not become the true bell-cow back, but it gives him time to develop into his new role. If he needs a season or two to hit that height, Warren can supplement him. If he only becomes a viable committee back, then you still have someone capable to pair with him.
I’d assume this deal will come in anywhere from 6-8 million dollars per season for the next two years. He was set to earn nearly 5.5 million dollars on his tag, and I can’t see him agreeing to a long-term deal that would pay him less than that.
That kind of money for a viable starter is well worth it. You know what you are getting in Warren: a true blue-collar type of player who can hurt a defense in a variety of ways. Now he gets some stability and a well-deserved pay raise. This is an excellent deal for both sides.