Ray Fittipaldo believes Jaylen Warren will take on the receiving duties previously handled by Kenneth Gainwell for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team lost Gainwell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency and signed Rico Dowdle to a two-year deal. Fittipaldo made the comments on WMBS Radio.
Fittipaldo said Warren is suited to the third-down role that Gainwell filled last season. "I do think you’ll see Jaylen Warren do a lot of the things that Gainwell did last year," he said. "He’s really good at that. That’s how he got into the league."
Gainwell led the Steelers in receptions in 2025 despite the presence of a pass-heavy offense led by Aaron Rodgers. Warren recorded 333 receiving yards that year while sharing the backfield with fewer targets after Najee Harris departed.
Dowdle arrives after back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and is expected to handle more between-the-tackles work. The combination of styles is intended to give the Steelers a balanced backfield ahead of the 2026 season under a new coaching staff.