Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren is dealing with a hamstring strain that could keep him out for two to four weeks, according to multiple sources reported by PennLive on Sunday. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first broke the news that this injury might cause Warren to miss the team’s season opener.
Warren sustained the injury during the first half of the Steelers’ second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. Although the injury isn’t severe enough to warrant placing him on injured reserve, like Diontae Johnson’s injury last season, hamstring strains are prone to recurrence, so the Steelers might take a cautious approach with his recovery.
Head Coach Mike Tomlin is likely frustrated, as the Steelers have yet to secure a win in the NFL preseason, with their latest defeat coming at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. The team’s recent losses have been against strong competition, as they faced top players like Russell Wilson and Justin Fields rather than facing lower-tier talent.
After their 9-3 loss to the Bills, the Steelers are 0-2 in the preseason. While it might be tempting to excuse the loss due to Josh Allen’s presence, the Steelers’ own quarterbacks, Mitch Trubisky and Ben DiNucci, faced off against the Bills, with Fields and Wilson rotating as the Steelers’ signal callers. Unfortunately, this rotation did not generate any momentum. Tomlin expressed his dissatisfaction with the performance, indicating a need for improvement in several areas.
Fields showed promise by completing 11 of 17 passes for 92 yards and demonstrating his rushing ability with an average of 5.2 yards per carry, though he couldn’t lead the team to a touchdown. Wilson, known for his strong arm, managed to complete 8 of 10 passes for 47 yards, but struggled with a collapsing pocket.
Tomlin and the coaching staff seem hesitant to make drastic changes, noting that the preseason games have been incomplete tests of their ability to establish rhythm and effectiveness. Tomlin highlighted the challenge of establishing momentum when failing to win key possession downs.
The question remains whether the Steelers can turn things around as the preseason progresses.
