Losing reigning team MVP and dependable offensive weapon Kenneth Gainwell in free agency to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a big blow to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But the Steelers turned right around and signed veteran Rico Dowdle, adding a dependable running back with experience under first-year head coach Mike McCarthy.
Now, the Steelers appear to have improved in the backfield, pairing Dowdle — coming off two straight 1,000-yard seasons — with Jaylen Warren.
For Pro Football Focus’ Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick, who ranked the 32 starting running backs ahead of the 2026 season, Warren and Dowdle will form one of the best duos in the NFL.
Warren landed at No. 14 overall, while Dowdle was an honorable mention.
Coming off a career-best 958 rushing yards last season, the arrow is pointing up for Warren, whom PFF ranked between Chicago’s D’Andre Swift and New Orleans’ Travis Etienne.
“Warren finally emerged as Pittsburgh’s lead back in 2025 and certainly earned his keep as a runner and as a receiver,” PFF writes. “His 958 regular-season rushing yards and 76.6 PFF rushing grade led the team’s qualified rushers, while his 84.4 PFF receiving grade was the sixth-best among all qualified running backs.
“Warren’s 77 combined missed tackles forced as a rusher and receiver during the regular season were the fourth-highest total in the NFL.”
While Gainwell stole the show as a pass catcher out of the Steelers’ backfield, Warren was the workhorse. He carried the football 211 times and nearly cracked 1,000 yards for the first time. He stayed relatively healthy, and with the increased workload rewarded the Steelers with some impressive play.
He’s a bowling ball with the football in his hands and is a nightmare for defenders to tackle, as evidenced by his 77 combined missed tackles forced last season per PFF. We charted him with 83 forced missed tackles last season here at Steelers Depot.
What his role looks like in 2026 with Dowdle now in the fold remains to be seen, but the Steelers very clearly have a great 1-2 punch in their backfield.
“Dowdle racked up over 1,000 rushing yards in Carolina last season, primarily due to a hot stretch in which he received starting reps. From Weeks 5 through 9 last season, he led the NFL with 652 rushing yards across just 103 carries,” PFF writes. “That spurred the Panthers to four wins in those five contests.
“Dowdle is arguably a top-25 running back in the NFL and will combine with Jaylen Warren to form one of the league’s most underrated backfield duos.”
Coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in Dallas and then Carolina, the NFL knows how talented Dowdle is as he’s on the cusp of making NFL history. He’s reuniting with McCarthy, which should help him hit the ground running in Pittsburgh.
Again, how things are split up between Dowdle and Warren remains to be seen. The Steelers have said they’ll lean on the hot hand throughout games and throughout the season, but they have a talented 1-2 punch and should try to work in both of them consistently.
Both fit the style the Steelers want to play, too, a physical, downhill rushing attack. That could be problematic for opposing defenses this season if everything comes together to meet the vision McCarthy has for the Black and Gold offensively.
