(Photo by Justin K. Aller)

The Steelers season is excitingly close to kicking off for real. We have just less than a month until Week 1 when the Steelers meet the San Francisco 49ers in Pittsburgh.

But in the meantime, there seems to be some controversy surrounding the running back position for the Steelers. 

The Steelers’ one-two punch at running back with Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren is proving to be a very interesting position to take a closer look at here in Pittsburgh. 

Harris, a first round draft pick by the Steelers in 2021, has been the workhorse running back for Pittsburgh ever since his draft day. He has started all 34 games he was eligible to in his career, and has topped 1,000+ yards in both of his NFL seasons so far. 

Harris is an athletic beast, and an impressive running back who, when healthy, can lead a Pittsburgh offense with explosive running plays. 

When healthy, however, is the key phrase here. During the off-season last year, Harris had suffered a Lisfranc injury, which hindered his abilities for the first half of the 2022 season. Najee was clearly limited in his running style, which severely affected his and the offense’s options. 

Meanwhile, a rising threat by the name of Jaylen Warren was showing he was more than a competent running back in his own right. Last season, Warren’s rookie year, he showed that he has starter potential, particularly as the Steelers needed a running back to help an anaemic offensive do something on the field. 

Harris’ injury opened the door for Warren to take more and more snaps. Warren’s success was all the more impressive when compared alongside the struggles of the injured but still playing Harris. 

Warren propelled himself into the conversation for perhaps one of the best backups in the league, and even a starter in some organizations. 

His incredible underdog story of a 5’ 8 undrafted guy only made Warren all the more of a fan favorite in Pittsburgh. 

Even though Harris fully reclaimed his starting role once he healed up, Warren still showed promise in whatever role he was given. 

Now, going into 2023, the Steelers know more of what they have in their running back room. Harris, who is going into a very important year, one that could determine whether the Steelers pick up the fifth year option on his rookie contract, will still be the starting running back. But how much can Jaylen Warren push him? 

Is there any chance that Warren overtakes Harris? 

It depends on who you ask. Andrew Fillipponi, 93.7 The Fan radio host who is noted for some crazy takes and staunch defense of quarterback Kenny Pickett, believes that Warren could overtake Harris as the lead running back in Pittsburgh’s offense. 

Whatever you think of Filipponi and that claim, you can see where he is coming from. Warren’s smaller stature allows him to sneak through opposing defenses easier, and he showed last season he’s a very durable player as well. 

However, his belief that Warren is set to be RB1 by Halloween (as he claims) probably isn’t true.

Harris reminded us all last season how dominant he can be when he is healthy. First half of the season Najee vs second half was night and day. That Lisfranc injury seriously limited him, but once he had his full arsenal back, Najee was Najee again. 

Even if there’s a bit of a controversy regarding the workloads of Harris and Warren, this is one of the best things that can happen to the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into 2023. 

It’s a problem many other organizations around the NFL would die for: oh no, we have TWO good running backs! What will we do?

Warren is a top second string running back in this league, and there should be no doubt he can pick up right where he left off in 2022. 

Harris, meanwhile, should get off to a much better start to the season this year now that he’s healthy to kick the year off. The Steelers still obviously believe (rightfully so) in their first round draft pick. 

And here’s maybe the best part: they are both still so incredibly young. Harris is 25, and Warren is 24. They both still have years left to give, solidifying the running back position for a long time.