Sep 14, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren (30) runs the ball against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

New Study Shows Where Steelers Run Problems Are

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Ari Meyer | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers were unable to get much done in their second game of the season, flailing to a loss against the Seattle Seahawks.

One of the reasons that the Steelers suffered was their offensive line play, who left little time for the Steelers new quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. Despite their woes, running back Jaylen Warren was able to have a good game for himself in the air and on the ground, totalling 134 yards.

Now, a new stat has revealed just how hard Warren had to work to achieve his yardage on the ground. According to @AccountStat on X, Jaylen Warren's rushing yards before contact rank within the bottom grouping of backs in the National Football League through the first two weeks of the season.

Yards Before Contact x Yards After Contact pic.twitter.com/WsVqTZMRNP
— Stat Acccount (@AcccountStat) September 17, 2025

Warren is averaging roughly 0.5 a yard per carry before being contacted, and the Steelers offense has been worse off for it. Ahead of Week 3, the Steelers rank 3rd to last in total rushing yards with 125 through two games. Naturally, when you have a quarterback who is not a scrambler, it will be lower than teams that do, but the low number is discouraging nonetheless.

Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The Steelers are also one of five teams in the NFL without a rushing touchdown so far this season, joining the San Francisco 49ers, the Carolina Panthers, the Los Angeles Chargers and the Tennessee Titans with 0. Of those teams, the 49ers stand out due to having Christian McCafferey, but the remainder of the teams have not found their franchise running back of the future at this point, including the Steelers.

The Steelers also have a question when it comes to their running back depth, as Kaleb Johnson has faired quite poorly early on in the season as both a running back and as part of special teams. Free agent addition Kenneth Gainwell has not fared well either, with no large run plays to show for himself in the first two weeks.

The Steelers will likely rely on the pass game as the season goes on, as the Steelers may have more depth than previously thought at the receiver position.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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