Pittsburgh Steelers running backs Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle, both former undrafted free agents, seek to join the exclusive club of Steelers rushers with 1,000 or more yards in a season. That group currently includes only Willie Parker. Warren came close last year with 958 yards, while Dowdle has achieved the mark in each of the past two seasons.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' backfield features Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle at the top, both undrafted free agents (UDFAs) expected to handle most carries alongside Kaleb Johnson. Steelers history includes few successful UDFA running backs, with Willie Parker standing alone as the only one to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a season. Parker accomplished this in 2005, 2006, and 2007 after signing as a UDFA in 2004. Warren signed in 2022 and nearly reached the milestone last season, finishing with 958 yards despite missing one game and sharing time with Kenneth Gainwell. Dowdle, who previously played with Chuba Hubbard in Carolina, hit 1,076 yards last season and has now rushed for 1,000 yards in each of the last two years. He told Missi Matthews he aims to make it three straight seasons. Dowdle's big games highlight his potential: over 2024 and 2025, he had five games with 130 or more rushing yards, tying for third in the NFL behind Derrick Henry (10) and Saquon Barkley (9). Parker and Warren rank as the most successful UDFA running backs in Steelers history, with only Warren Heller (1934) and Bull Karcis (1937) exceeding 500 yards in a season. Warren and Dowdle could form Pittsburgh's next strong one-two punch at the position.
