Aaron Rodgers was looking to his right after he accepted the first snap of a Pittsburgh Steelers third-quarter possession following a Seattle Seahawks touchdown that had tied the score Sunday.

Rodgers then scanned the middle of the field. Not satisfied with what he saw — and now facing some pressure from the vaunted Seattle pass rush — Rodgers scrambled to his left.

It was then he saw what was something of a safety valve: running back Jaylen Warren.

Aided by a sneaky-accurate throw by Rodgers, Warren transformed himself from “last resort” into “explosive playmaker.”

Mike Macdonald lauded Riq Woolen for how he bounced back vs. Pittsburgh and for his hustle play to track down Jaylen Warren on his 65-yard catch and run.

That drive ended two plays later with Derion Kendrick’s end zone interception, so Woolen helped save seven points. pic.twitter.com/cYtgVgVmpe

— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) September 15, 2025

Warren eluded a defender in coverage and caught a well-placed pass 10 yards past the line of scrimmage, then fought off contact with Seahawks defenders on four other occasions while weaving his way through the secondary and all the way down the field for a 65-yard gain that was the biggest play of the Steelers’ home-opening defeat at Acrisure Stadium.

“That,” receiver Roman Wilson exclaimed with enthusiasm Monday, “was a Jalen Warren run right there.”

Technically, it was a Warren reception, the Steelers’ biggest-gaining reception since 2023. But according to NFL Next Gen Stats, the 84.3 yards that Warren ran with the ball (counting his lateral dekes to avoid would-be tacklers) accounts for the third-most distance run with the ball on any catch throughout the NFL this season.

Though the Steelers would give it back three plays later via an interception in the end zone, Warren’s “splash” play was sorely needed for an offense that had no other gains of at least 25 yards throughout Sunday’s game.

“Just for the whole line, it’s a big help, (Warren) out there making plays like that,” left tackle Broderick Jones said. “Taking us all the way down to the 5, it makes our job a lot easier. So that’s a big commitment for him. He puts us on his back. He leans on us, and we lean on him as well.”

That reception accounted for almost exactly one-quarter of the Steelers’ total yardage against the Seahawks (267). It also accounted for almost half of the yards Warren produced (134) during a game in which he had 18 touches.

It was the fourth-year pro’s second career game without erstwhile RB1 Najee Harris on the roster, and it was Warren’s first in the post-Harris era in which he led Steelers running backs in snaps played. (Veteran newcomer Kenneth Gainwell out-snapped him in the season-opening win at the Jets).

In a sense, Sunday was Warren’s true coming out party as a “featured” back. He delivered with a career-high in receiving yards (86) and second-most yards from scrimmage in his 50-game career.

“Credit to my teammates. They’re are the ones that made it happen,” Warren said. “I was just following my blocks.”

The 58.1% of the offensive snaps Warren played against Seattle is the third-highest deployment rate he has had for a game as a pro. Coach Mike Tomlin was asked after the game if Warren can continue to handle such a workload or more.

“I’m certain he can,” Tomlin said. “I know that he had a good week’s work. I know that he felt good going into today, and he expressed that so I see no reason why he can’t.”

Warren’s 14 carries were tied for the second most in his career. Though his 48-yard output wasn’t overly inspiring, Warren’s season grade via the subjective analysis of Pro Football Focus rates him as the NFL’s fourth-best running back through games played Sunday. Only eight running backs across the NFL have been credited with more missed tackles forced (five).

“I just I love the game because it’s physical,” Warren said, “and that’s just how I run.”

Few plays have showcased Warren’s running style better than the 65-yard catch-and-run Sunday.

How is Warren able to appear so deft with his weaving and deking in the open field?

“I don’t know. Just whatever I see, my body reacts,” he said. “It’s really instinctive. And then sometimes I realize I’m still up, just keep chopping my feet, trying to make something out of nothing.”

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