Once a college football journeyman and an undrafted free agent, Steelers running back Jaylen Warren secured his future in Pittsburgh with a two-year contract extension that runs through the 2027 season, his agency, Aura Sports Group, posted on social media Monday morning.
The deal includes $12 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The deal also includes a $5.95M signing bonus, upping Warren's pay to $7-plus-million in 2025 (he was due $5.346M on a restricted tender), a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Warren gets $5.05M in 2026 and $5.15M in 2027 for a total of $17.25M over three years, a source told Fowler.
"It's a great feeling knowing they have my back," Warren said shortly after the deal was announced. "I'm going to do what I can to have their back."
Warren, who initially made the Steelers' roster as a rookie undrafted free agent in 2022 after turning heads in his first training camp, enters the 2025 season as the team's starting running back after three seasons as a complementary player to former first-round pick Najee Harris. The Steelers declined Harris' fifth-year option and let him walk in free agency earlier this year, leaving Warren leading a position group that also includes rookie third-round pick Kaleb Johnson and former Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell.
Warren, who spent his collegiate career at Snow College, Utah State and Oklahoma State, established himself as a versatile contributor in the past three seasons, valued for his pass protection, slippery speed and receiving ability.
"Everyone who goes to JuCo [this] is what they dream about, being in a situation like mine," he said Monday. "And so, I hope I can be the one they look up to when you're in those hard situations in JuCo ... because that life is ... not easy."
He has a career average of 4.8 yards per carry and 7 yards per reception. Though hampered by injuries last season, Warren recorded 511 rushing yards on 120 attempts and a touchdown, along with 310 receiving yards on 38 catches, in 15 regular-season games.
As a rookie, he played 31% of offensive snaps, but in the next two seasons, he and Harris more evenly split reps as Warren got 49% and 45% of offensive snaps.
Warren is the first rookie who joined the team in 2022 to get an extension. Of the seven draftees that year, which also included quarterback Kenny Pickett and wide receiver George Pickens, only two remain on the roster in wide receiver Calvin Austin III and fullback/tight end Connor Heyward. Pass rusher DeMarvin Leal was a cutdown-day casualty, but he was signed back to the practice squad last week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.