There are several Pittsburgh Steelers hot topics floating around the media right now. They include who their quarterback will be, when they will sign him, as well as the endless wide receiver possibilities. In addition, there's the talk of free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. How will the Steelers plug the numerous holes they have on their roster?
Part of what contributes to all of the uncertainty is Pittsburgh's sheer volume of free agents on its current roster. There are 25 players in total set to hit the market in less than a week. One of the positions that still has many question marks is running back. The Steelers, like most NFL teams, have undervalued running backs over the past several years. This is even though the Steelers pride themselves on having a strong run game.
To help build upon that history of running the football, they drafted Najee Harris with a first-round pick in 2021. Unfortunately, Harris' time in Pittsburgh hasn't been ideal. He has been consistent and durable, but his detractors feel he struggles to hit holes and break off longer runs. Those struggles have only been complicated by weak offensive coaching and a porous offensive line.
Now, he and his running mate, Jaylen Warren, are free agents. Harris is unrestricted, while Warren is restricted. The consensus among Steelers insiders is that the team will let Harris start fresh somewhere else while retaining the cheaper Warren. Longtime Steelers reporter and native Yinzer, Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show chatted with his co-host Chris Mack on their podcast, Kaboly and Mack, about who the team might find to pair with Warren in 2025.
"I'm gonna throw a name out there; let's see what you think about this," said Kaboly about a possible running back for the Steelers. "Cam Akers. He'll be 26. He's coming off an Achilles injury in 2023 that usually takes a year plus, extremely cheap, talented. He had a decent year/year and a half with the Rams. This is not a [starting] guy, you're not bringing in a guy to potentially be your starter, carry the ball 300 times. First of all, he will be a spot player, only if you don't find anyone in the draft as well. So if you're going in with Warren, Cam Akers, a third or fourth-round pick, whoever it might be running back wise, that might not be a bad idea either. Cam Akers has potential and you're not going to spend a lot for him. That's a guy you could probably wait until mid-April to get."
Mack said he can see Cam Akers fitting in with what the Steelers are doing on offense. However, he is concerned that Akers is a "spot guy," just like Cordarrelle Patterson, who was largely ineffective in 2024. Patterson has a connection with Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith, and fans often found themselves frustrated at the team's seemingly excessive usage of the former Pro Bowler.
Akers was a second-round pick in 2020 and won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams. Since then, he has bounced around the league. He just finished his second stint with the Minnesota Vikings and is set to be a free agent. He suffered an Achilles injury in 2023 that he has been working his way back from. His former coaches praise how he perseveres despite the adversity he's faced in his young career.
Steelers Aren't Set On Jaylen Warren
While most assume Warren returning to the Steel City is a done deal, some think he might not. Warren is the kind of player Steelers fans love.
He has a great story: he is an undrafted rookie who makes it to the pros and splits the starting job with a first-round pick. However, there is the possibility that Pittsburgh works out a deal with Harris, and Warren is the odd man out. The 2025 draft class is full of strong running backs of all types. The Steelers should be able to find a replacement easily.
