Two-year extension for Jaylen Warren

He is renowned for big hits as a blocker, but Harris was just as effective and more consistent in picking up the right blitzer. It is just like people's evaluations of them as runners. Some of y'all get fooled by the flash.

It is foolish that people can't acknowledge that Warren's declining average per carry demonstrates the way this offense hinders a lead back, something that happened to Harris the last four years.

It is foolish that people want to make excuses for Warren regarding play-calling and poor offensive line play, but don't want to acknowledge that those things held Harris back, too.

It is foolish that people can't acknowledge that Warren has been less durable than Harris was in the lead role and he hasn't been able to carry as much of a workload.

It is foolish that people are reaching for more subjective advanced metrics to excuse Warren being no more than average.

 

2025

 

All of it is true. You and others on this thread have been making excuses for Warren. You talk about the line play and the system holding him back. The line play and system were problems the last four years, too. It is upon moving into the lead role that we saw those issues hold Warren back as they held Harris back.

Harris as a Steeler was more durable than Warren. It is crazy that you can't even acknowledge that. Harris never missed a start. Warren did. Easy.

Warren has played in games that he didn't get as many snaps as Gainwell. I think there were some he didn't get as many touches. Overall, he is getting fewer carries per game than Harris ever had as a Steeler.

Advanced metrics are more subjective than total yards rushing or yards per carry. One source is likely to judge a broken tackle differently than another, but a yard gained is a yard gained.

Warren is 22nd in the league in rushing. If I remember from earlier, 15 or 16 of those guys ahead of him average more yards per carry than Warren. Based on those numbers, the non-subjective ones, it is not only fair but generous to say that Warren is an average back.

Let's try this another way. Here are the backs ahead of him in rushing yards this season. I'll put a plus side next to the ones who have been better than Warren this season. I doubt you can dispute it if you are looking at this honestly.

Johnathan Taylor +
James Cook+
De'Von Achane +
Bijan Robinson +
Jahmyr Gibbs +
Derrick Henry +
Javonte Williams +(4.8 yards per carry)
Kyren Williams +
Rico Dowdle + (4.8 yards per carry)
Travis Etienne +
Breece Hall +
Saquon Barkley (You tell me. The average is slightly below Warren's, but do you want to argue Warren is better than Barkley?)
Christian McCaffrey
D'Andre Swift +
Josh Jacobs
Quinshon Judkins (Talk about a guy held back by the team around him)
J.K. Dobbins + (5 yards per carry)
Kenneth Walker +
Tony Pollard
Chase Brown
Ashton Jeanty

That is 14 running backs ahead of Warren and I'm being generous to Warren. You could make an argument for Barkley, McCaffrey, and Jacobs, too. That sure sounds average to me. This leave out guys like Skattebo, who got hurt early, and Treyvon Henderson and Blake Corum, who have come on strong later in the season while Warren's numbers have been in decline.

Go through the list. Tell me which of the running backs with + next to their name you think aren't better than Warren this year and make the argument. I doubt you can do it.

By the way, I forgot. Didn't you compare Warren to Gibbs or Robinson before the season? I thought that was you, but I don't remember which one it was. I thought it was Gibbs.

 

It's simple for any RB in the league, any of them. If You aren't carrying the ball , and no not touches , but actual carries at least 15 to 16 times a game , Your average should be high, and nobody should go by Your ypc. I've said this way before there was a Najee, or a Warren on the team. There is a reason that most(not all ,but most) RBs with under that amount of carries have more yards per carry than guys that carry it more, and are work horses.
Ypc is a terrible way to judge any rb that doesn't shoulder the load. I've said this for as long as I can remember.
Now with that said.....Go Warren, Gainwell, and KJ.
I guess the YPC guys think Samaje Perine is a better RB than Jerome Bettis.

 

That is why I was using total yards along with yards per carry.

 

Who's getting the ball this weekend???

EXACTLY!!!

CC : CASE CLOSED

 

It’s not good enough

 

To you

 

Yeah duh.

 

Doesn't change the fact that we know the Steelers believed Harris was the better back the last three years, which was demonstrated by them giving him more snaps and touches by Warren.

Doesn't change the fact that I have been proven correct in my concern that the Steelers would lose durability in their lead back if they gave that role to Warren, who has already missed one entire game and parts of two others.

It doesn't change that I was right in my concern that he couldn't handle the same workload as Harris.

It doesn't change the fact that Warren's average per carry has dropped significantly in the lead-back role, exactly as STD and I tried to tell you it would.

It doesn't change that the statistics show us that Warren has been no more than an average running back this season. If you could argue my list of 14 guys who have been better than him this year, you would. You can't. And I was generous to Warren in that list. I'm not sure anybody here really thinks he is better than Barkley, McCaffrey, or Jacobs.

It doesn't even prove your claim that the Steelers thought Warren was the better option going forward. That he was a first-round pick four years earlier by a GM who has since retired is irrelevant. Maybe they thought Warren was better. Or maybe they didn't like Harris running his mouth about money. The team has shown a quick trigger in getting rid of guys who cause any kind of trouble in recent years. Maybe they were worried about all the wear and tear on Harris, an argument I made at the time. You dismissed that one at first, then suddenly decided it mattered when Harris went down with a freak injury this season.

It doesn't change the fact that Warren's performances are currently trending in the wrong direction.

So yeah, maybe you should have avoided all those arguments where the facts support my argument over yours.

The funny thing is I say all this as a guy who loves watching Warren play. I wish he was as good as Gibbs or Robinson. (Seriously, which one did you compare him to?) He isn't, but he's still their best weapon. I hope he shows it Monday night.