Brooke PryorSep 1, 2025, 11:40 AM ET
- Brooke Pryor is a reporter for NFL Nation at ESPN who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2019. She previously covered the Kansas City Chiefs for the Kansas City Star and the University of Oklahoma for The Oklahoman.
Once a college football journeyman and an undrafted free agent, Steelers running back Jaylen Warren secured his future in Pittsburgh with a two-year contract extension that runs through the 2027 season, his agency, Aura Sports Group, posted on social media Monday morning.
The deal includes $12 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Warren, who initially made the Steelers' roster as a rookie undrafted free agent in 2022 after turning heads in his first training camp, enters the 2025 season as the team's starting running back after three seasons as a complementary player to former first-round pick Najee Harris. The Steelers declined Harris' fifth-year option and let him walk in free agency earlier this year, leaving Warren leading a position group that also includes rookie third-round pick Kaleb Johnson and former Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell.
Warren, who spent his collegiate career at Snow College, Utah State and Oklahoma State, established himself as a versatile contributor in the past three seasons, valued for his pass protection, slippery speed and receiving ability.
He has a career average of 4.8 yards per carry and 7 yards per reception. Though hampered by injuries last season, Warren recorded 511 rushing yards on 120 attempts and a touchdown, along with 310 receiving yards on 38 catches, in 15 regular-season games.
As a rookie, he played 31% of offensive snaps, but in the next two seasons, he and Harris more evenly split reps as Warren got 49% and 45% of offensive snaps.
