RELATED: See other important free-agent moves here.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could be saying goodbye to Najee Harris, but as free agency gets underway, the team has taken steps to either retain restricted free agent RB Jaylen Warren or make another team pay to sign him away.
Contract Terms
The Steelers tendered Warren at the second-round level, according to Myles Simmons of Profootballtalk.com. If another team chooses to sign Warren it would owe the Steelers a second-round pick as compensation. If not, Warren will make $5.346 million to play for the Steelers in 2025.
Fantasy Football Impact
While the fantasy football world waits to see who the quarterback will be in Pittsburgh, one backfield piece could be in place. Warren is likely to be back with the Steelers in 2025, without Harris there to share the ball. Free agency and the draft are not over, and it is likely that Pittsburgh still adds some competition for Warren before training camp. At the least, Warren should maintain the role he has held in Pittsburgh over the past few seasons -- a committee back with the upside to explode in any given week.
Over the past three seasons, Warren has demonstrated an ability to consistently score double-digit fantasy points despite regularly being on the short end of the carries total. He struggled with injuries for much of 2024, but in 2023, he posted spike weeks of 22 and 30 fantasy points while maintaining that consistent floor. He has shown that he can be effective as both a rusher and a receiver and has stuck around and carved out a role for himself in Pittsburgh despite the presence of a backfieldmate with more draft cache.
That last point is important. The Steelers placing a high tender on Warren suggests that Mike Tomlin and his staff trust him and plan to use him in a similar role moving forward."
It remains to be seen what kind of competition Pittsburgh brings in. If they select a back like Ashton Jeanty this analysis could all go out the window. If they bring in a complementary back to Warren instead, he should remain a solid flex play for fantasy managers, with weekly running back two potential.
Similarly, dynasty managers should be happy Warren looks like he'll stay in Pittsburgh. He is a solid bench option at the most fungible position in fantasy football. I like the stability that this move seems to give his value heading into 2025.
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The Fantasy Football Fallout
It's tough to say how this will impact other players on the Steelers since we don't know who the most important ones -- the quarterback and Warren's likely backfield mate -- are going to be yet. We do know that a solid running game should contribute to the success of whoever plays quarterback in Pittsburgh next year. If this tender means Warren returns to the backfield in 2025, that quarterback will have a good piece in place to help carry the load.
Stock Watch
Risers
Fallers
Overview
The Pittsburgh Steelers put a second-round tender on Jaylen Warren, making it likely the restricted free-agent running back is back in the fold for 2025. Warren looks primed to, at minimum, retain the committee role he has earned over the past few seasons. In that role, he would remain a good flex play with RB2 potential for fantasy managers in 2025. If he sees an increase in volume and can stay healthy, he could rise higher.
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