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The Pittsburgh Steelers face a must-win game against the Baltimore Ravens in the regular season finale. Pittsburgh could claim its first AFC North title since 2020 or miss the playoffs altogether.
With DK Metcalf set to miss the second game of his two-game suspension, the Steelers duo of Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren should factor heavily into Week 18’s matchup. Gainwell was voted team MVP during a breakout campaign for the fifth-year rusher. And regardless of Week 18’s outcome, he hopes to be back in Pittsburgh next season.
“This experience has been amazing to me. It’s definitely something that I would love to experience again,” Gainwell said, via Matthew Luciow. “This is exactly something that I would love to come back to and be a part of.”
The Steelers signed Gainwell to a one-year deal over the offseason. The former fifth-round pick spent the first four years of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. But he’s reached new heights in Western Pennsylvania.
Gainwell has set new career-high marks in carries (109), rushing yards (527), receptions (65), receiving yards (422) and total touchdowns (7) through 16 games in Pittsburgh. And he’s complimented Warren well.
The Steelers lost Najee Harris to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency. So the team pivoted to Warren as the starter and added Gainwell for depth. The move has worked well as both backs have enjoyed career-best campaigns
Pittsburgh could re-sign Gainwell after his strong performance. But the Steelers may be a very different team next year if they lose to the Ravens on Sunday. Some NFL observers believe Mike Tomlin’s future with the team is uncertain if Pittsburgh misses the playoffs.
The Steelers had a chance to clinch a postseason berth and win the division title with a win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 17. But Pittsburgh came up short, setting up a winner-take-all showdown with Baltimore.
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