PITTSBURGH (AP) — When Jaylen Warren arrived in Pittsburgh in the spring of 2022 as an undrafted rookie free agent running back, he was hoping he could do enough to earn a spot on the practice squad.
Warren has done far more than that.
Six months after letting former first-round pick Najee Harris leave in free agency, the Steelers on Monday signed Warren to a three-year contract extension that erased any doubt about his status going into 2025 and beyond.
“It’s a great feeling knowing they have my back,” Warren said shortly after the deal was announced. “I’m going to do what I can to have their back.”
Heady territory for a player who reported to Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, (about two hours south of Salt Lake City) as a freshman in 2017 a little “pudgy,” according to one of the coaches.
The staff at Snow told Warren that if he could get in shape, his future might change considerably.
He did. And it has.
Playing with a physicality that belies his size (5-foot-8, 215 pounds), Warren has methodically risen from Snow to Utah State to Oklahoma State to a surprise roster addition in 2022 to — after three years coming off the bench to spell Harris — an NFL starter.
When the Steelers open the season at the New York Jets on Sunday, Warren will run out onto the field alongside Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf and Pat Freiermuth.
While admitting his journey has been “surreal,” Warren likely won't stop carrying the chip that's been visible from his first padded practice at training camp in the summer of 2022, when he opened eyes during the traditional “backs on (line)backers” drill by holding his own against bigger, more experienced defenders.
“If anything, it's going to add more chips,” Warren said.
He believes there are still naysayers out there who might doubt his ability to handle a heavier workload. Warren has never carried the ball more than 15 times in a game as a pro, though most of that is due to Harris' durability and the way the club split the workload between the two.
Warren has thrived as a role player, averaging 4.8 yards per carry over the course of his career while being a capable receiver out of the backfield. He also has proven ferociously effective as a blocker, even if it has sometimes crossed the line in the eyes of the NFL.
Steelers All-Pro outside linebacker T.J. Watt joked that Warren's deal means he can recoup some of the money in fines he's piled up over the years.
“(It's) awesome, but don't mistake it for all the hard work that he's done and how it's truly well-deserved," Watt said. “And he's going to continue to earn it, I know that.”
The extension comes just months after the Steelers drafted former Iowa star Kaleb Johnson in the third round. While the 6-foot-1, 224-pound Johnson profiles as more of the traditional NFL running back, Warren made it a point not to view Johnson's arrival as an imminent sign of his own departure.
Turns out, he was right.
“I wasn't concerned,” Warren said. “I stay present in my moment, my lane. I was glad we got Kaleb. He’s a baller. The more weapons, the better for the team.”
Warren will head into the opener fresh. He played sparingly in the preseason, a nod of respect from coach Mike Tomlin on how vital he is to Pittsburgh's success.
While the addition of Rodgers, Metcalf and tight end Jonnu Smith in the offseason gives the Steelers plenty of established star power in the passing game, there won't be much change to offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's formula of being more run-heavy than most teams in the league.
“Protect Aaron and run the ball,” left tackle Broderick Jones said Monday when asked to describe the team's philosophy.
That's fine by Warren, who plans to do plenty of both. He's well aware that the list of junior college players who receive second contracts in the NFL is not lengthy. He now finds himself on it thanks to the firm belief that he always belonged.
“Everyone who goes to JuCo (this) is what they dream about, being in a situation like mine," he said. “And so I hope I can be the one they look up to when you’re in those hard situations in JuCo ... because that life is ... not easy.”
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Will Graves, The Associated Press
