What happened: Jaylen Warren currently paces the Pittsburgh Steelers in both rushing and receiving output, per Peter Schrager, prompting Ed Werder to urge the team to keep the fifth-year back as the offense's primary option even after sidelined running back Rico Dowdle returns to health.

Why it matters: Dowdle has been sidelined since late September after dealing with a toe injury, creating an extended runway for Warren to command the backfield touches. Maintaining Warren as the lead option once the seventh-year veteran is cleared would reshape Pittsburgh's backfield rotation for the remainder of the 2026 regular season.

What to watch: Pittsburgh's workload split in the backfield will face its first test once Dowdle returns to the active lineup.