Is Najee Harris on the verge of being replaced by rookie Jaylen Warren? After a strong Week 8 performance from Warren led the Pittsburgh Steelers into their bye week, head coach Mike Tomlin said they’ll be using Warren more in the coming weeks. This is causing some Najee Harris–Jaylen Warren fantasy questions for both traditional and DFS formats alike.
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Here’s what Tomlin had to say when asked if it’s possible Warren gets a look as the “featured back.”
“We’ve got some awesome contributions from Jaylen and it’s reasonable to expect that to continue,” Tomlin told Sports Illustrated. “I know that, like I mentioned when we’re talking about a division of labor and who’s done what and who’s done what well, I know that was a topic of discussion and very evident in our tape review.”
Tomlin put the onus on Warren to prove himself in an increased role.
“He’s a quality back that’s made some plays,” the coach added. “We’ll keep giving him an opportunity to do so and maybe he’ll write that script.”
In Week 8 against the Philadelphia Eagles (a 35-13 loss), Warren carried the ball six times for 50 yards and made three receptions for 25 yards. The opportunity comes as a bit of a surprise, after Harris thrived as the RB1 throughout his rookie season, rushing for 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns with 74 receptions for 467 yards and three scores. However, this season has been a stark drop-off with 3.3 yards per carry and 4.7 yards per reception a far cry from last season (3.9 and 6.3).
Talking about the decline, Tomlin said a foot injury Harris suffered in the preseason is likely hindering his production.
“To what degree I don’t know,” the Pittsburgh Steelers coach said. “He’s playing, so obviously healthy enough to play. I’ll let him speak to that.”
Even with Najee Harris likely to remain in the lineup for the time being, Jaylen Warren is a name to watch in the coming weeks.
