Jaylen Warren News: Expects to play this week

Warren suggested Tuesday that he expects to play in Saturday's preseason game against Tampa Bay.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin hadn't announced anything as of Thursday morning, but it would follow his pattern from past seasons if he played most of his healthy starters in the second preseason game. While it remains to be seen if Warren is technically a starter come Week 1, there's no doubt he'll be a big part of the offense. Starter or not, his workload will partially depend on the progress of rookie Kaleb Johnson, who took nine touches for 26 yards in the preseason opener while playing extensively with Pittsburgh's backups. The presence of QB Aaron Rodgers could also be a factor, as he has a well-documented preference for veteran teammates and recently told reporters that he thinks Warren can be a three-down back, per Nick Farabaugh and John Luciew of Penn Live. That said, Rodgers' preferences might also work in favor of free-agent addition Kenneth Gainwell, another veteran RB with plenty of experience on passing downs.