Losing your team MVP is never a good sign, but the Pittsburgh Steelers may be in a unique position to handle the blow. After losing Kenneth Gainwell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency, the Steelers promptly signed Rico Dowdle to a two-year contract to pair with Jaylen Warren.
It won’t be easy to replace Gainwell’s production. A running back leading a team in receptions may speak volumes about Pittsburgh’s passing game in 2025, but it was an impressive feat for Gainwell nonetheless.
While Dowdle was brought in to take Gainwell’s place alongside Warren in the backfield, Steelers beat writer Ray Fittipaldo believes Warren is best suited to assume Gainwell’s role on offense.
“I do think you’ll see Jaylen Warren do a lot of the things that Gainwell did last year,” Fittipaldo said during an appearance on Sportsline with George Von Benko on WMBS Radio. “He’s really good at that. That’s how he got into the league. He was a great third down back and he eventually worked his way into being a first and second-down back, too.
“I think you’ll see him back in that role this year.”
Last season, Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers offense relied heavily on the quick pass game and both running backs benefitted. Gainwell and Warren were both in the top four for receptions on the team. Warren had almost double the rushing attempts that Gainwell registered but took a back seat in the passing game.
Warren’s 333 receiving yards were actually a slight increase from 2024 as he no longer had to share a backfield with Najee Harris but Gainwell’s production, which caught some by surprise, made him indispensable.
Now paired with a physical, downhill runner in Dowdle, Warren is set up to do what he does best and keep defenses on their toes as a dual threat. Dowdle is coming off back-to-back 1,000 yard rushing seasons and will almost certainly bring competition to the backfield, but their contrasting styles will make for a well-balanced offense.
If both are used properly, Warren and Dowdle can each find their niche in the offense. Even though there will be a new coaching staff, we saw last year that Rodgers’s playing style at this point in his career can make use of a pass-catching running back. Warren is more than capable of filling that role.
As a whole, the Steelers running game needs to be better in 2026. Part of that improvement will come from the continued development of a young offensive line and a more threatening passing attack. But running backs who are able to beat defenses in multiple ways will also be key. Even after losing a player that was responsible for a large portion of their offense production, the Steelers should feel confident that they have the right pieces in the backfield to be successful.