Aug 9, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A Pittsburgh Steelers helmet sits on an equipment trunk during the game against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Steelers Rookie OT Suffers Head Injury in Preseason Game

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 1:00 PM ET

It appears that a rookie Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman suffered a serious injury in the team's preseason loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday night.

Speaking with reporters after the game, head coach Mike Tomlin revealed that Gareth Warren was being checked out for a potential concussion.

"Gareth Warren is being evaluated for a concussion," he said.

Warren seems to have sustained his injury on the Steelers' last offensive play in their 17-14 loss, which resulted in an interception for linebacker Antonio Greer off quarterback Logan Woodside.

With Aiden Williams, Ryan McCollum, Isaac Seumalo and Spencer Anderson all not dressed, Warren ended up logging 22 snaps for Pittsburgh on the night. 17 of those reps came at left tackle, while the other five were spent at right tackle.

He received a well above-average pass blocking grade of 83.4 from Pro Football Focus for his performance, allowing no pressures over 12 opportunities. Warren didn't grade out quite as favorably as a run blocker, though, garnering a 44.2 grade.

In the preseason opener vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars, he earned a 54.7 pass blocking grade after allowing a sack to go alongside a 52.5 run blocking grade over 26 snaps.

Warren is now all but certain to be unavailable for Pittsburgh's final bout of the preseason against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night. The 21-year-old was listed as the team's fifth string right tackle on their most recent depth chart.

The Steelers signed Warren as an undrafted free agent out of Lindenwood University in May after he tried out during the team's rookie minicamp.

He was named to the All-Great Lakes Valley Conference team in 2021 while starting four games. In 2022, Warren helped Lindenwood record 509.1 yards per game and was subsequently a second-team All-Ohio Valley Conference nominee as Lindenwood moved up from Division II to Division I FCS.

The 2023 campaign saw him earn a Big South-OVC Academic Team selection while also being named a CSC Academic All-District Honoree. During Warren's final year with the program in 2024, he received first-team All Conference honors before participating in the East-West Shrine Bowl.

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

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