During the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 30-27 division victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, running back Jaylen Warren operated as the undisputed heartbeat of the offense. Operating without a traditional backfield rotation, Warren’s relentless, high-contact running style paved the way for Pittsburgh’s 138-yard ground attack.
On his “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger” podcast, former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger marveled at Warren's toughness, while raising critical questions about his workload and long-term durability.
Roethlisberger joked that Warren’s low-center-of-gravity dominance was so impressive that Pittsburgh should look into scientific duplication.
"Where are we at in science, like cloning?" Roethlisberger laughed. "If we could get a couple
Jaylen Warrens on offense, T.J. Watts on defense. I'd put two or three Jaylen Warrens on defense. I mean, that brother tough. Low man wins, he's winning."
However, that relentless playstyle exacts a physical toll. Following an explosive 80-plus-yard sprint that was negated by a holding call, Warren looked visibly spent on the field.
Roethlisberger noted how rare it was to see the relentless back show fatigue, quipping, "It turns out the only person that can tackle Jaylen Warren is Jaylen Warren's legs."
With backfield depth dinged up, the former two-time Super Bowl winner pointed out that Pittsburgh lacked its usual one-two punch, forcing Warren to take on an exhausting solo workload.
"We didn't even have a one-two punch out there," noted Roethlisberger’s co-host Spencer Te’o. "It was just Jaylen. He needs a water."
Roethlisberger emphasized that while Warren’s willingness to fight through exhaustion elevates the offense, keeping him healthy remains the single biggest key to Pittsburgh's season.
"He's tough. He runs hard," Roethlisberger added. "That's going to be a key to the success of this team, is Jaylen Warren staying healthy. We need our line, but we need that dude because he takes a lot of pressure off the offense."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Ben Roethlisberger highlights key factor in Jaylen Warren's workload
