Ball Security Crucial for Jaylen Warren’s 2025 Starting Role

This upcoming season, Jaylen Warren will step into a role he hasn’t held since his senior year at Oklahoma State: starting running back.

Since joining the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2022, Warren has emerged as one of the team’s most dependable contributors. Despite the addition of rookie Kaleb Johnson in this year’s draft, Warren is expected to lead the backfield.

For Warren, productivity will be the key metric of success. However, one critical aspect of his game demands attention: ball security.

At first glance, the issue may seem minor. Over his career, Warren has recorded just seven fumbles across 354 rushing attempts and 129 receptions, resulting in a career drop rate of 1.5%.

What raises concern, however, is the timing of those fumbles. In a Week 10 win over the Washington Commanders last season, Warren lost the ball at the goal line—a controversial call that cost the team a touchdown. More troubling was a preseason fumble against the Panthers, which led to him being benched.

If Warren needs motivation to address this issue, it may come in the form of competition. Rookie Kaleb Johnson, known for his exceptional ball security at Iowa, poses a legitimate threat to Warren’s starting role. Johnson fumbled only three times in his collegiate career and went an impressive 39 consecutive games—spanning 475 touches—without a single fumble.

In short, Johnson has proven he can handle a heavy workload with reliability. For Warren, maintaining control of the football will be essential to keeping his spot atop the depth chart.

There’s no questioning Warren’s work ethic. While a minor flaw may have surfaced in his game, there’s little doubt he’ll put in the work to correct it. His role as the Steelers’ starting running back could depend on it, and so too could the effectiveness of the team’s ground attack. If history is any indicator, Warren won’t shy away from the challenge.