The Steelers are preparing for their first game of the 2025 season against the New York Jets in Week 1.
This is an intriguing matchup as these teams essentially swapped starting quarterbacks. Future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers signed with the Steelers this offseason after two subpar seasons with the Jets, while Justin Fields left the Steelers for the Jets are losing the starting gig to Russell Wilson last season.
Obviously, the Steelers' pass attack will be interesting to watch with Rodgers in town and a new star receiver in D.K. Metcalf. However, it will also be interesting to see what the Steelers do with their ground game.
Previous workhorse Najee Harris departed for the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency, and the team drafted Kaleb Johnson in the third round to go along with holdover Jaylen Warren.
Warren played in 15 games in 2024, with no starts, and collected 511 rushing yards and one score. 2023 was Warren's best season as he collected 784 yards and four scores. Johnson. meanwhile racked up a Big 10-leading 1,537 yards in 2024.
So, will Warren or Johnson be the lead back in 2025? Head coach Mike Tomlin recently revealed that Warren will be the top back, and the team signed the veteran to a two-year extension.
However, when offensive coordinator Arthur Smith was asked if Warren is a "high-volume back," he did not provide a direct answer.
Smith praised Warren's balance and ability to pick up yards after contact, but also acknowledged that it's rare to see a running back who can handle almost 300 carries like Harris did. Warren has never had 150 carries in a season, so it would be surprising to see him suddenly double his workload.
As a result, it seems like Warren is RB1, but there will be plenty of opportunities for Kenneth Gainwell and Johnson. Gainwell is currently listed as RB2, but Johnson has the most upside of any back on the roster.
In Week 1, you should expect Warren to start at running back and get the first several carries. However, it wouldn't be surprising to see Gainwell in on passing downs and Johnson in at the goal line.
The Jets also have traditionally been stout against the run, so it probably shouldn't be expected that any running back will have a huge game. Warren will almost definitely end with the most carries, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the rookie get a score.
As the season progresses, Johnson will undoubtedly gain more and more carries, unless Warren proves he can handle RB1 duties.