The Pittsburgh Steelers got some concerning news on the injury front on December 15, just before their MNF matchup with the Miami Dolphins, as starting running back Jaylen Warren was announced as “questionable” to play with an illness.
The Steelers confirmed this news, informing fans that “we have added RB Jaylen Warren to the injury report as questionable (illness) for tonight’s game with Miami.”
Not long after that sudden update, NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero provided some more information.
“Jaylen Warren woke up sick and is getting fluids, but I’m told he’s optimistic about playing tonight,” Pelissero reported, which is obviously good news for the Steelers.
Even if Warren does suit up for Week 15 on Monday night, this could be a game where Kenneth Gainwell gets a lot of usage. Gainwell has been tremendous as a pass-catching back on third downs, and he’s had a few huge games whenever Warren has been less than 100%.
That appears to be the case as the Steelers prep for a crucial primetime outing against the Dolphins, meaning Gainwell could once again come up big in Week 15.
Steelers RBs Kenneth Gainwell & Kaleb Johnson Will Be Ready to Go After Jaylen Warren News
As noted above, Gainwell is the next man up if Warren were to sit, but rookie Kaleb Johnson would also be heavily involved in the rushing attack in that scenario.
This happened once before in 2025, as Warren missed Week 4 in Ireland. In that game, Gainwell went crazy with 19 carries for 99 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, as well as 6 receptions for another 35 yards.
Later, in Week 11, Warren only appeared on 18 offensive snaps, and Gainwell contributed another 105 scrimmage yards and 2 receiving touchdowns.
Looking at Johnson’s 2025 season, Weeks 4 and 11 were two of his three largest snap counts.
In Week 4, Johnson was on the field for 11 offensive snaps, earning 6 rushing attempts. He racked up 22 yards on those six opportunities.
Later, in Week 11, the Steelers ran Johnson 5 times for 15 yards on the ground, but he only appeared on 8 snaps that time around.
It’s no secret that head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith don’t really trust Johnson’s ability to pass protect for a veteran quarterback like Aaron Rodgers. So, if he’s out there, he’s most likely getting the football for a rushing attempt.
Unfortunately, this makes Johnson’s usage predictable, and the third-round talent will need to work on becoming more well-rounded in 2026.
Steelers Are Not Full Strength on Injury Front for MNF vs. Dolphins
This will be a more challenging game than it seemed several weeks ago. At one point in the year, the Dolphins were 1-6, firing their general manager.
Now they are 6-7, just one game behind the Steelers as they ride a four-game winning streak heading into MNF.
So, Pittsburgh is facing a scorching-hot team that is desperate to keep playoff hopes alive. Not only that, but the Steelers are also down key pieces like superstar edge rusher T.J. Watt, current left tackle Andrus Peat, and core special teamer and rotational CB James Pierre.
If Warren is added to that list, that could be troublesome as Pittsburgh gears up for such a formidable opponent.
If the Steelers were to lose this final Week 15 matchup, they’d fall to 7-7 on the year. That would put them dead even with the Baltimore Ravens in terms of record (Pittsburgh currently holds the tiebreaker), and on the outside looking in if the Ravens were to pass them for the division crown.
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