Steelers 27-Year-Old RB Discusses His First Impression of Mike McCarthy
After coaching the Steelers for 19 seasons, head coach Mike Tomlin stepped down in January 2026. The franchise embarked on a search for a new head coach and eventually decided to hire Pittsburgh native Mike McCarthy. Before hiring McCarthy, the team had a long history of hiring defensive-minded head coaches. The Super Bowl XLV Champion head coach is known for his West Coast offense style.
Phase One of the Steelers’ voluntary offseason workouts took place this week. While a handful of players attended McCarthy’s introductory press conference in January, others just met their new head coach for the first time this week. The Super Bowl XLV Champion head coach clarified his expectations to the team. Steelers running back Jaylen Warren was among the players who spoke to the media.
Warren appeared on the NFL Network’s Good Morning Football on Friday. The Steelers 27-year-old running back gave McCarthy a glowing endorsement. Warren said, “Man, he’s been energetic. Just getting us, obviously, it’s an information week, so he’s been doing his thing as far as preparing us for what he wants and what he is expecting out of us. It’s been great. I just love the energy he brings, I just love what he’s about.”
Warren also revealed that he’s excited about teaming up with fellow running back Rico Dowdle. The Steelers signed Dowdle to a two-year contract during free agency. The Steelers 27-year-old running back remarked, “Rico, I love the way he runs. I saw a game, and I was like, I love the way this dude plays, and I have him by my side. That’s a great addition. Two undrafted players, I can’t wait to rock with that.” Warren and Dowdle are both physical runners, so they should complement each other well.
McCarthy shared what he loves about pairing Dowdle with Warren at the 2026 NFL Annual League Meeting. He explained, “I love the fact that their play styles emulate each other. That’s what I was really excited about with Rico. A big thing that I think is very important for running backs, the first question I always ask in the evaluation process, can he play all three downs?” The Super Bowl XLV Champion head coach added, “These guys both can play all three downs, that’s important, and it’s really important for a play-caller.” McCarthy remarked, “Having backs that don’t have to come out of the game on third down, that’s something that I put a lot of value in.”
