Jaylen Warren’s Fumble Woes Could Cost Him Steelers’ Starting Role
There’s considerable hype around Pittsburgh Steelers third-round rookie running back Kaleb Johnson. But former undrafted free agent Jaylen Warren is likely to be Pittsburgh’s lead back to begin the season.
One thing that could derail Warren’s role, though, is his fumbling issue. The 26-year-old reminded pundits of his ball security problem with a fumble during Week 3 of the NFL preseason Thursday.
Steelers insider Mark Kaboly argued on 93.7 The Fan on Friday that if the issue isn’t fixed, the team could cut Warren’s playing time.
“I could see him getting benched,” Kaboly said, via Steelers Depot’s Jeremy Pike. “I could see him having a key fumble, coming out. Kaleb Johnson coming in, and Kaleb Johnson making that jump where he’s taking over.
“We’re going to go with him until something else happens.”
Over his three-year NFL career, Warren has fumbled seven times on 473 touches.
Warren fumbled twice last season with 158 touches. Most notably, he coughed up the ball while at the 1-yard line in the November 10 matchup against the Washington Commanders.
The Steelers came back to win that contest, but by a single point.
Steelers’ Jaylen Warren Working on Fumble Issues
Kaboly’s message worked as sort of a warning to the Steelers veteran running back. But the team insider made it clear that Warren doesn’t need the message.
Kaboly explained during his radio appearance that the running back already works very hard at cutting down his fumbles. The hard work just hasn’t come to fruition yet.
“The guy works so hard at it, too. He carries around the water-filled ball all the time, high and tight,” Kaboly said, via Pike. “He always has that ball in his hands, even while standing on the sidelines. He’s very conscious of his shortcomings there.”
Johnson is expected to push Warren for playing time this fall. Warren will have a harder time holding back the rookie if he can’t offer better ball security.
The NFL is a different animal. But in college, Johnson had just three career fumbles at Iowa.
Johnson didn’t fumble on any of his final 475 college touches.
Warren’s NFL Fumbling Record
Two fumbles, including only one lost, in a season doesn’t sound like a lot. But Friday, Pike compared the fumbling percentages Warren and Najee Harris posted in recent years with the Steelers.
Warren fumbled 1.5 percent of the time. Again, that doesn’t sound like a lot. But his fumbling rate was roughly five times higher than Harris’.
“Najee Harris touched the ball 1,277 times in the regular season during his four years with the Steelers,” Pike wrote. “He fumbled five times. That’s a fumble every 255 touches, or a rate of 0.3 percent.”
Warren was a more efficient back than Harris. Even with a decline in his yards per carry average last season, Warren has posted 4.8 yards per rush in his career.
But Harris remained Pittsburgh’s lead back. Ball security was likely a factor as to why.
The same could be the case for Warren even with a rookie backfield mate. It doesn’t matter how many yards Warren accumulates if he doesn’t hold onto the ball.
