The Pittsburgh Steelers have a half-dozen prominent players that will become unrestricted free agents after the 2024 season, and they have been major parts of the team’s offseason news cycle this summer, the time period the club usually sets aside for extending contracts. Jaylen Warren has flown under the radar as one of those players, but he’s another player that doesn’t seem close to inking an extension with the team.
Warren is set to become a restricted free agent next offseason, and while the Steelers will have right of first refusal on his rights for 2025, there’s little long-term security in Warren’s current situation in the last year of his UDFA contract.
He has certainly earned more than he’s making. Warren ran 149 times for 784 yards and four touchdowns and added 61 catches for 370 yards receiving last year, nearly splitting time with former first-round pick Najee Harris.
Despite that, a new deal with the Steelers doesn’t seem like a front-burner issue for Warren at this point of the offseason.
“To be honest, I’m not even worried about that,” Warren said after wrapping up OTAs on Thursday. “I’m just worried about winning the Super Bowl.”
That’s not the first player that doesn’t seem close to a new deal.
Cam Heyward has dominated the headlines, as the Steelers defensive captain said he would not report to OTAs while he was negotiating a contract extension with the team. But Heyward reported this week, without a new deal, and said he and the team remain far apart on an extension.
Guard James Daniels told Steelers Now earlier in OTAs that he had been informed by the team that he wouldn’t be getting a contract extension before the season.
Running back Najee Harris had his fifth-year option declined, which is probably not a good starting point for future negotiations.
Things have been quiet with quarterbacks Justin Fields and Russell Wilson and tight end Pat Freiermuth, all of which are also entering the final years of their contracts.
The Steelers have the cap space to make moves this offseason, so they’ll likely sign one of those players to a contract extension, but it’s not clear where their priorities are right now.
More must-reads: