The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the best running back duos in the league with Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle. While training camp will go a long way toward deciding the workload between the two, former Steelers OL Trai Essex pointed out that Dowdle is in a good situation due to the history of Steelers’ backups in recent years.
Warren backed up Najee Harris before getting a crack as a starter. Kenneth Gainwell entered last season as a backup, then had a strong season and cashed in on a new contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In response to Essex, former Steelers QB Charlie Batch said he believes Warren will be more motivated entering camp knowing that Dowdle has a chance to surpass him and earn a bigger opportunity.
“If you’re Jaylen [Warren], you know that. You’re like, ‘Hey man, three, four years ago I was that guy.’ So guess what? Now you’re hungrier coming into camp because now I have somebody looking over my shoulder who could potentially do the exact same thing that I did,” Batch said on The Snap Count podcast.
To be fair, it’s hard to say right now whether Dowdle or Warren will be the starter. Whoever does start should expect a pretty even snap share with two talented backs. Dowdle ran for over 1,000 yards in each of the past two seasons, but Warren is a solid all-around back who also excels as a pass protector.
There’s a chance that Warren is the one in the Gainwell role this year, but the point Batch is making is that competition could help him elevate his game. It’s a situation Warren has been in before, but this year. it’s with a new coaching staff that has prior ties to Dowdle. Warren may wind up being extra motivated to prove himself and show that he wants the starting job.
Regardless of who starts and who has more of the third-down role, the Steelers’ backfield should be a strength and a big reason for the offense’s success. It’s rare that a team has two backs with the prior production of Dowdle and Warren. The two players should form an impressive tandem that could take the Steelers offense to another level.