Jaylen Warren contract: How much will Steelers RB earn in 2023?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are back in action in the preseason. They have been dominant so far, blanking the Atlanta Falcons at halftime, even though quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky have so far not contributed to the scoreline.

All the Steelers' touchdowns have so far come from the ground, with Jaylen Warren scoring the second:

According to Over the Cap, Warren is on a three-year contract worth $2.57 million. This year, he is expected to earn $870,000 as well as a prorated bonus of $4,000. He will become a restricted free agent in 2025.

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A brief overview of Jaylen Warren's career

Born in Clinton, North Carolina, Jaylen Warren moved to Salt Lake City in Utah as a youth, where he broke the state's single-season rushing record at 3,099 yards as a senior. During that campaign, he rushed for at least 100 yards in all 14 games, with all but two of them also being 200-yarders.

Warren began college at Snow, rushing for at least 1,000 yards and double-digit touchdowns in his two seasons there. As a sophomore, he was named the NJCAA Offensive Player of the Year and made the All-American First Team.

Those inspiring performances got him recruited to Utah State, but he managed only 569 yards and five touchdowns. The COVID-19 pandemic reduced his 2020 to just three games, 252 rushing yards, and three touchdowns.

Said pandemic and the ensuing truncation of the football led the NCAA to grant multiple players another year of eligibility, and Jaylen Warren was among them. He used it to transfer to Oklahoma State and rebounded immensely, rushing for 1,216 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he was named the Big XII Offensive Newcomer of the Year.

In the following year's draft, Warren did not go off the board, but he did join the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent. He performed strongly enough in preseason camp to make the final roster. He called it "a dream come true" at that time:

"It's still surreal at this point. I feel like I have to tone it down, still be focused. I can't be too hyped, too star-struck. I've got to control it and realize I am playing the game I have been playing since I was eight."

He would finish his rookie season with 379 rushing yards and one touchdown, though he also suffered a fumble.