The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a key 34-22 victory against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season, driven by a brilliant performance from Jaylen Warren that earned high praise from veteran leader Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers directed criticism toward the media for ignoring the strong performances of “emerging” players compared to higher-profile stars, offering his perspective in defense of his teammate.
Despite his success, the running back has not received much media attention, according to Rodgers. “They have their favorites and people that they want to talk about,“ Rodgers said during his press conference. “So it is what it is.”
Warren’s performance
Over five weeks, Jaylen Warren has been one of the NFL‘s top-performing running backs. The Pittsburgh Steelers running back accumulated 309 rushing yards and 143 receiving yards before the team’s Week 5 matchup. His performance proved even more dominant against the Indianapolis Colts.
Jaylen Warren #30 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates a touchdown.
In the 34-22 victory, Warren recorded 101 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He added another 87 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown, highlighted by a team-high six receptions.
Warren has gone overlooked since going undrafted in 2022. Early in the season, many predicted Rico Dowdle would consolidate the lead running back role in Pittsburgh. While an injury to Dowdle played a role in that outcome not materializing, Warren has earned the undisputed starting running back role moving forward.
Warren was already an underrated player who took an unconventional football path before joining the Steelers, playing for three college programs: Snow, Utah State, and Oklahoma State. Meanwhile, Rodgers remains one of the most popular players in the NFL, raising hope that Warren will begin to receive greater media attention and recognition for his contributions.
Key takeaways
- A 34-22 victory was secured by the Pittsburgh Steelers against Indianapolis in Week 5.
- 101 rushing yards and two touchdowns were recorded by Jaylen Warren in Week 5.
- Going undrafted in 2022, Jaylen Warren earned Pittsburgh’s starting running back role.
