The Pittsburgh Steelers had a well-balanced rushing attack in 2023, bouncing between their two young backs, Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren. The one-two punch was one of the best in the league, rushing for over 2,000 yards last year as a team. The Steelers are best known for smash-mouth football and power rushing. Last season was no exception, as the RB group led the league in broken tackles, and it wasn’t really close.
They ranked within the top 12 in the league in rushing attempts and rushing touchdowns, although they were ranked in the bottom half of the league in rush yards and YPC (yards per carry).
The team was run-first in 2023, starting three different quarterbacks; they never really got the passing game to flow well over the course of the entire season. They tied for second to last in passing touchdowns and were among the worst in the league in completions and passing yards. How does the current Steelers RB depth chart shake out with a new QB room?
Who Are the Steelers Running Backs?
Official 2024 team depth charts just recently became public, and the Steelers seem to want to replicate their rushing attack from last year. They are starting Harris with Warren backing him up. At the RB3 spot, it is currently split between newcomers Cordarrelle Patterson and La’Mical Perine.
Najee Harris
Harris is a bowling ball power back, standing at 6’1″ and weighing north of 240 pounds. Not many running backs in the league share the same stature. He is a premier tackle-breaker, breaking 30 tackles last year, which was good enough for second in the league. He also has never rushed for under 1,000 yards in his three years.
The Steelers leaned on Harris heavily in his rookie campaign in 2021, compiling 307 rushing attempts and 74 receptions. He netted 10 touchdowns in this campaign but did not rush efficiently, staying under 4.0 yards per carry (YPC), although he rushed for 1,200 yards on the dot.
His 2022 season was eerily similar to his rookie year, which was not great news as he did not progress much — putting up a similar YPC and the same amount of touchdowns but with a dip in his rushing total and his receiving work.
While 2023 was arguably his best year, finally notching a YPC over four yards, which many believe to be standard for a serviceable back in this league. He had considerably fewer touches this year, which could explain why he was more efficient, but the rise of his backup gouged some of his work.
Harris has a looming contract situation sitting in the back of his mind in 2024, as the Steelers chose not to pick up his fifth-year option over the offseason. His performance this year could be the deciding factor as to whether or not GM Omar Khan decides to extend him.
Jaylen Warren
Warren is a flashy young back with grit and determination. He went undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft but showed every team why he would have been worth a pick. Quickly climbing the ranks in the depth chart, he is loved by his teammates and coaches for his powerful play and relentless effort.
He excels in the blocking game, with multiple highlight pancake blocks. He also provided a great change of pace with his endless drive, quickness, and straight-line speed, putting up a 74-yard rushing touchdown against the Cleveland Browns last season.
He also shines at breaking tackles, ranking fourth in the league in this category last year, which is impressive for a backup. Warren averaged a spicy 5.3 YPC last season with 784 rushing yards total and over 1,000 yards from scrimmage.
Warren is looking to catapult his career into stardom with a repeat season. He could potentially even earn the starting job should the Steelers move on from Harris after this season.
Cordarrelle Patterson
New to the roster in 2024, Patterson was picked up by the Steelers shortly after the new kickoff rule took effect, hoping he could bring his skill set to special teams. Patterson is a veteran in this league, having played for a decade already, and is now playing for his sixth team.
He was used mostly on special teams his entire career, although his best professional season came in 2021, which revitalized his career. The Atlanta Falcons utilized him heavily as a dual-threat back, and he netted over 1,000 scrimmage yards.
MORE: Pittsburgh Steelers Depth Chart
He repeated with an exciting 2022 campaign, sharing the load with power back Tyler Allgeier. But with the Falcons looking ahead, they selected the highly touted prospect Bijan Robinson, leaving Patterson to dry in 2023. Patterson is fast and could provide use wherever he is slotted into with his new team.
Even though many believe Patterson is just a special-teams player, running backs coach Eddie Faulkner believes he could be utilized in other ways. He is quoted as saying, “We can use him in a lot of different ways, and I am sure we will dabble in that when we get going.”
The third running back spot was a far-from-desirable spot to be in last season for the Steelers, as there were already hardly enough touches to go around between Harris and Warren. Perhaps we see Patterson utilized in ways that do not involve him even lining up in the backfield.
La’Mical Perine
A career backup selected by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Perine is still trying to make a name for himself in this league, with only 340 career rushing yards and a career 3.6 YPC. It is not looking like 2024 will be the season for that, as he is most likely going to play behind Patterson, although we are still unsure of how the veteran will be utilized.
There is much to look forward to with the Steelers’ 2024 season beyond just the backfield, but if the rushing attack can repeat the process from last year, that is one less thing that fans and coaches will have to worry about.