Steelers Making Perfect RB Moves

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers went into the offseason with a job opening at running back. How they were going to fill it was up for interpretation, with the only real insight provided by the team being that they were likely to tender Jaylen Warren, and the door was open for Najee Harris.

As free agency started, the expectation was that the Steelers were going to right-to-refusal tender Warren, giving him just over $3 million for the 2025 season. From there, they'd consider other veterans, negotiate with Harris, and look into the NFL Draft class for backup options.

Instead, they second-round tendered Warren, giving him $5.346 million this upcoming year. Harris left for Los Angeles, signing a one-year deal worth up to $9 million with the Chargers. And surprisingly enough, Harris' deal only comes with $5.25 million in base salary.

They still have Cordarelle Patterson on the roster and may choose to keep him there. It seems unlikely, and their plan to (potentially) replace him, caught everyone's attention when it happened.

The black and gold added their second running back of the offseason, agreeing to a one-year deal with former Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl champion Kenneth Gainwell. The pass-catching speedster had everyone's respect in Philly and brings explosiveness in the receiving game to Pittsburgh, as well as being able to work on a kick returner on special teams.

Now, the Steelers just need to finish it off with a rookie. This draft class is loaded, and the Steelers spent plenty of time scouting it during the NFL Combine. Rumbles say Pittsburgh has a strong interest in names like TreVeyon Henderson out of Ohio State, but the team met with Quinshon Judkins, Kaleb Johnson, Ashton Jeanty and many others in Indianapolis.

If they can land one to be the primary backup to Warren, with Gainwell coming off the bench as an explosive pass-catcher as the RB3, their backup is set. And it looks good.

On paper, the team has done what they needed to at the running back position. Even losing Harris doesn't seem like a blow, and with the upside of Warren, there's a chance the running game really takes off in 2025.

Pittsburgh is two for two at running back this offseason with a chance to hit the trifecta. A huge win for a team that's built win on the ground on offense.

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