Jaylen Warren Expected to Play Through Shoulder Injury Against Bengals

The NFL's questionable tag remains the most flexible word in the English language. Despite nursing a shoulder injury all week, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren is expected to suit up today against the Cincinnati Bengals, according to Adam Schefter.

This is a massive sigh of relief for a Pittsburgh offense that currently looks like it is running in wet cement. The Steelers are coming off a brutal 20-3 loss to the New England Patriots where moving the football felt like a theoretical concept rather than an actual game plan.

"Adam Schefter reported: 'Steelers RB Jaylen Warren, listed as questionable for today due to a shoulder injury, is expected to play vs. the Bengals.'"

Warren was limited in practice Wednesday through Friday. A shoulder injury for a guy whose entire job description involves running headfirst into 250-pound linebackers is not exactly ideal. But in the AFC North, playing through upper-body trauma is basically just a standard Tuesday.

The Bengals roll into Pittsburgh with some actual momentum after handling the Houston Texans 20-6 last week. Cincinnati is already missing defensive tackle B.J. Hill, who is doubtful with an Achilles issue, meaning Warren might find some softer spots in the interior if his shoulder holds up.

For the fantasy managers and prop bettors who spent all morning staring at their phones waiting for an update, Warren being active changes the entire backfield math. Just keep in mind that active does not always mean a full workload, especially when contact is the exact thing that aggravates the injury.

Kickoff is set for 5:00 PM. We will find out very quickly if Warren is actually ready to carry the load or if he is just out there as a decoy to keep the Bengals honest.