We'll be monitoring the status of Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren all week in the lead up to the Week 12 game against the Chicago Bears.
Warren exited the Week 11 game against the Cincinnati Bengals prematurely after suffering an ankle injury. Prior to his leaving, Warren was having a great game in what has been a strong season for him.
While Warren offered an optimistic injury update following the game, a lot can change between then and later in the week.
Here's what we know about Warren's chances of suiting up this Sunday.
Will Jaylen Warren play in Week 12?
According to ESPN's Brooke Pryor, head coach Mike Tomlin is "optimistic" that Warren will be ready to play on Sunday. Tomlin adds that Warren will likely be limited at practice early in the week.
"Mike Tomlin says Jaylen Warren's ankle injury will limit him in early portions of practice this week, but he's 'optimistic' about his availability for Sunday," Pryor reported.
Following the Week 11 win, Warren revealed that he could have returned to the contest, but the Steelers wanted to be smart with his injury in order to avoid it getting worse.
"I could have (returned), but it was part of being smart. We got a lot of games ahead of us, so they’re looking out for me," Warren said, per Nick Farabaugh of PennLive.com.
That only adds more optimism to the idea that Warren will play in Week 12.
We'll get our next update on Wednesday, when the Steelers release their first injury report. Any semblance of participation would be great news.
Who is Jaylen Warren's handcuff?
That would be running back Kenneth Gainwell, who has been excellent in place of Warren when he has been banged-up this season.
When Warren sat out in Week 4, Gainwell racked up 99 rushing yards, 35 receiving yards and two touchdowns, which ranked him as RB3 overall that week.
With Warren exiting early in Week 11, Gainwell tallied nine carries for 24 yards and seven catches for 81 yards and two scores, which was good enough for a top-five finish among running backs in fantasy.
Gainwell will be a rock-solid RB2 play with RB1 upside if Warren is sidelined in Week 12.
More NFL news
- Raiders rumors give insight into dysfunction, futures of Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly
- Jerry Jones offers more details on Pickens, Lamb getting benched
- Cowboys Week 12 power rankings: Where Dallas sits after Week 11 win
- Dalton Kincaid injury update is ominous sign for TE's Week 12 status
- Commanders have already found Matt Gay replacement
- Seahawks hint at change with Kenneth Walker, Zach Charbonnet usage