During the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 20-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Jaylen Warren exited the game early. What’s the latest on Warren’s status, and will he be available in Week 4 when the Steelers face the Indianapolis Colts?
What’s the Latest on Jaylen Warren’s Injury?
Warren is dealing with a knee injury, which limited him on Sunday.
“Jaylen Warren wasn’t able to finish here late in the second half. I pulled him from the game. It just didn’t look like he was running smoothly,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin explained. “We will have to evaluate him.”
Warren had an MRI, but it “did not reveal anything too concerning that would indicate a long-term injury or absence,” according to Steelers beat writer Nick Farabaugh. He adds that the team will see how Warren progresses throughout the week, and that there’s still a chance he can play in Week 4.
I have heard that Jaylen Warren's MRI did not reveal anything too concerning that would indicate a long-term injury or absence.
The team will see how he reacts throughout this week and decide where to go.
Best case scenario is he does play this week.
— Nick Farabaugh (@FarabaughFB) September 24, 2024
Warren did not practice this week and has been ruled out for Sunday’s game.
Warren suffered a strained hamstring during Pittsburgh’s second preseason game. Initially, there were reports that he would miss multiple weeks, but the tone quickly became far more optimistic and he was able to play in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons. While many wondered if the injuries were related, Tomlin told reporters that Warren’s current issue is unrelated to his previous hamstring strain.
Warren clearly hasn’t looked like himself through three weeks, as Tomlin noted. Prior to exiting the game, he had just five yards on three carries. On the season, Warren has 14 carries for 54 yards (3.9 yards per carry).
Fantasy Outlook
With Warren out, expect Najee Harris to receive the bulk of carries in Week 4. Harris is a bit banged up, as he suffered an arm injury during last week’s game, but he’s expected to play on Sunday. In fact, he didn’t even receive an injury designation after being a full participant in practice on Thursday and Friday.
The Colts gave up over 150 rushing yards to Joe Mixon in Week 1 and Josh Jacobs in Week 2 before slowing down against the Chicago Bears’ poor excuse for a run game last week.
Yes, it’s still safe to label this as a vulnerable defense, and after Harris dominated the Week 3 usage (18-3 edge over Warren in carries, 5-1 in targets), he’ll be an RB2 this week.
While Harris is banged up, he’s incredibly durable; he hasn’t missed a game in his NFL career, so he’s no stranger to playing through the pain.
With Warren out and given how many players are injured entering Week 4, Cordarrelle Patterson is worth considering as a desperation Flex. We know how much Steelers offensive coordinator loves Patterson, so don’t be surprised if he mixes in and spells Harris throughout the game.