Pittsburgh Steelers elevate blazing-fast running back

The Pittsburgh Steelers are elevating running back Jonathan Ward from their practice squad to the active roster for the second straight game. This comes even with the return of Jaylen Warren, who shed his injury status on Saturday and will play against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Ward will play special teams, filling in on coverage units and as a kick return. If the team needs a speedy, outside zone runner, he can fill that void, too. Aaron Shampklin, Najee Harris, and Warren remain on the roster, and the Steelers will play with four running backs for the first time in the entire season.

Ward logged just three carries against the Dallas Cowboys when he was one of three running backs on the roster, with Harris taking the brunt of the workload at 14 carries on the night. Signed on a veteran tryout out of rookie minicamp, Ward’s impressive summer earned him a spot on the practice squad.

With his ability to pass protect and having the speed to hit big plays, the Steelers liked what Ward did enough to even work through a hamstring injury with him this summer. So, he has some legitimate buzz around him in the building, but this week, most of his work will be done on special teams rather than on offense barring injuries.