Why Aaron Rodgers Thinks Jaylen Warren Could Be the Key To The Steelers' Offence
Aaron Rodgers praised Jaylen Warren after the Steelers' 30-27 win over the Bengals. Warren posted a career-high 176 yards from scrimmage and helped fix the third-down struggles. Here is why Rodgers sees him as the offence's key.
Jaylen Warren gave the Steelers their offence back on Sunday. Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati 30-27 after scoring just one touchdown through its first two games, and Warren led the way with a career-high 176 yards from scrimmage on 17 carries and three catches. Aaron Rodgers, who threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns, pointed straight at his running back afterwards. His praise was not about one big afternoon. It was about what Warren changes on first down, on third down and every snap in between, and why that matters for a team still finding its identity.
Why does Aaron Rodgers see Jaylen Warren as key to the Steelers offence?
Rodgers gave his answer right after the win, and he kept it simple. Warren is hard to bring down. "He actually brings himself down more than the first guy," the quarterback said. The numbers back him up. Warren rushed for 127 yards and averaged seven and a half yards per carry, and he still left plays out there. An 87-yard run was wiped out by a holding penalty, and a fall at the 6-yard line kept him out of the end zone late.
He was just as useful as a receiver. His 30-yard catch on the first play set up Roman Wilson's 38-yard touchdown. That mix is what Rodgers values. Since arriving in Pittsburgh, he has described Warren as a change-up back who protects well and is strong on third downs. A shoulder injury limited Warren in practice this week, and Rodgers even joked about it afterwards: "I was told yesterday, 'Don't throw Jaylen the ball in practice.'"
Can the Steelers keep leaning on Jaylen Warren?
The timing helped. Rico Dowdle missed the game with a toe injury, so Warren took the workload by necessity. Before Sunday, he led the team with 21 carries for 89 yards. Coach Mike McCarthy also started Max Iheanachor and Brock Hoffman on the right side of the line, and the run game responded.
The bigger shift came on third down. Pittsburgh converted 7 of 12 after going 5-for-25 in the first two games combined. Rodgers said those conversions gave the offence room to run more and call play action. Receiver Ben Skowronek, who caught a 23-yard touchdown off one of those looks, called Warren "one of the most underrated players in the National Football League." Warren, for his part, said the best part of a strong run is what it does for his teammates.
It is still one game. The real test comes when Dowdle returns and Warren's shoulder takes another week of hits. McCarthy must decide how to split the carries between the two backs. Defences will also adjust after seeing Warren's day, so Rodgers needs the same third-down success, 7 of 12 on Sunday, to keep the offence moving without one big run.