Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (hamstring) confirmed to Brooke Pryor of ESPN that he’ll be ready to go for the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
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Warren told Pryor that he did individuals and special teams work in practice on Monday, and he anticipates joining team periods on Wednesday.
Warren suffered the hamstring injury after catching a pass from Russell Wilson in the second quarter of the Steelers’ second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 17. He gained 12 yards on the play, twisting through a tackle from Rasul Douglas and Joel Andreessen before being dragged to the ground.
Warren walked off the field and was evaluated in the medical tent on the Pittsburgh sideline before walking down the steps to the Steelers locker room. He ultimately was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin held Warren out of his team’s final preseason game against the Detroit Lions, but said he doesn’t expect it to be a long-term absence.
Hamstring injuries are notorious for lingering, and also for steeply punishing those who try to come back too quickly from them.
Last season, Pat Freiermuth was practicing fully and ready to return on Oct. 16.
“I feel good,” Freiermuth said. “I’m good to go this week; excited to get back out there and play.”
Four days later, he was on the injured reserve list after a setback. He didn’t return until Nov. 19. So while the Steelers may be confident in Warren returning soon, hamstring injuries have a way of not caring who is confident.
Warren ran for 5.3 yards per carry, one of the best figures in the league in 2023. He ran 149 times for 784 yards and four touchdowns. He also caught 61 passes for 370 yards.
In 2024, Warren and Harris are expected to do much more for the team under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. According to Warren, running backs are heavily featured as receiving threats in Smith’s offense. Last season in Atlanta, Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier ranked inside of the top seven in receptions throughout the season.
“Oh yeah. We’re involved a lot in the pass game,“ Warren said about the running backs. “Learning the new offense, it’s a whole bunch we’re involved in. I’m excited for that. … Wherever I’m called at, when I’m called, I just go out there and perform, do what I can for the team.”
The Steelers offense struggled during the preseason, so getting Warren back for the season opener against the Falcons is definitely a big boost. He’s without a doubt one of their top playmakers.
