If the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to defeat the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5, they will have to do so without running backs Jaylen Warren and Cordarrelle Patterson.
Steelers insider Mark Kaboly reported on October 4 that both backup running backs will miss the team’s matchup with their long-time NFC rival. Several other local and national NFL reporters shared the same news around the same time.
Warren has been dealing with a knee injury since the end of the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. He didn’t suit up against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4.
Patterson exited that same game with the Colts due to an ankle injury.
This leaves Najee Harris and Aaron Shampklin as the only available running backs on Pittsburgh’s active roster for Week 5. The Steelers will host the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.
Jaylen Warren, Cordarrelle Patterson Ruled Out for Week 5
While the Steelers will still have their starting running back in Harris, losing both Warren and Patterson is a significant setback.
Warren averaged 5.3 yards per carry and caught 61 passes last season. His 1,154 yards from scrimmage were just 4 yards short of George Pickens, the team’s No. 1 wide receiver, in 2023. Harris was the only other Steelers player to outgain Warren in total yards from scrimmage last season.
Not having Patterson will affect both the offense and special teams. After Warren was injured in the first half against the Colts, Patterson rushed for 43 yards on just 6 carries, averaging 7.2 yards per attempt.
Patterson has also handled kickoff returns for Pittsburgh this season.
Without both players, Harris will need to shoulder most of the responsibilities in the Steelers backfield. This is a role he’s familiar with.
As a rookie three seasons ago, Harris played about 84% of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps for the entire season. He was on the field for every offensive snap in two games in 2021.
Harris might need to play a similar number of snaps against the Cowboys.
The Steelers signed Shampklin to their active roster on October 2, giving them another option at running back behind Harris.
However, Shampklin has only played in one NFL game, which was against the Colts on September 29. He participated in 13 offensive snaps and recorded 1 carry for 5 yards.
Pittsburgh also has a couple of running backs on their practice squad. Both veterans La’Mical Perine and Jonathan Ward could be elevated to the active roster for Week 5.
Edge Rusher Alex Highsmith Set to Miss Week 5
While the Steelers offense faces depth issues in the backfield against the Cowboys, the defense will be without its second-leading edge rusher.
TribLive.com’s Joe Rutter reported that Alex Highsmith will not play in Week 5. Rutter also noted that tight end MyCole Pruitt will be inactive.
Highsmith is set to miss his second straight game after suffering a groin injury in Week 3. Without him in Week 4, the Steelers’ pass rush struggled to pressure the Colts’ mobile quarterback Anthony Richardson.
The same issues were apparent against veteran quarterback Joe Flacco.
Nick Herbig replaced Highsmith in the starting lineup for Week 4, but he is also dealing with an injury. Herbig has been limited in practice due to an ankle issue heading into the Cowboys matchup.
On a positive note, veteran left guard Isaac Seumalo practiced fully and could make his season debut in Week 5.
The Steelers and Cowboys are scheduled to kick off at 8:20 pm ET at Acrisure Stadium.
