Picture this: a massive Hawaiian kid, raised on rugby fields under Kona sunsets, grinding through four years at Lindenwood University – a place more known for forestry than football factories. Now imagine that same kid, Gareth Warren, standing on an NFL practice field in Mike Tomlin‘s Pittsburgh, wearing black and gold #69, his 6’6″, 328-pound frame moving with surprising agility. His dream is just beginning. But up north, in the wide-open spaces of the CFL, the Edmonton Elks just made a quiet, calculated bet on his future. It’s a subtle chess move in the global game of football, one made after the Toronto Argonauts made a similar play for a much bigger name: Shedeur Sanders.
Yep, you read that right. While Sanders, the polished QB prospect now with the Browns, landed on Toronto’s negotiation list after slipping to the 5th round, the Edmonton Elks have placed Steelers rookie offensive lineman Gareth Warren on their exclusive negotiation list. It’s not a demotion, not a sign he’s leaving. Think of it more like Edmonton whispering, ‘Hey, if this whole Steelers thing doesn’t work out exactly as planned… we see you. We believe in that raw talent.’
Let’s break it down NFL-style: Imagine the CFL’s negotiation list like a practice squad, but for players not currently in Canada. Each of the nine CFL teams can stash up to 45 names. If Warren were ever cut by the Steelers and couldn’t catch on with another NFL squad, the Elks would have the exclusive rights to negotiate with him if he wanted to head north. It’s Edmonton saying, ‘We dig your potential, big fella. We’re holding your spot at the table, just in case.’
EXCLUSIVE: #Steelers tryout OL Gareth Warren
“The Steelers told me they are looking at me primarily as a tackle, so I’m preparing for that. I’ve played across the whole line – center in high school, left guard then left tackle in college. I’m prepared to help them anywhere I… pic.twitter.com/fBPK57hFyM
— Steelers Takeaways (@PittsburghSport) May 7, 2025
Warren is currently the only Steeler on any CFL list, though plenty of former ‘Black and Gold’ warriors are scattered across them. It’s a low-risk, high-upside play by the Elks, recognizing the kind of raw, athletic lineman—clocking a 5.22s 40-yard dash at his size!—that thrives in their wide-open game.
Warren’s journey to this point, even before the CFL nod, reads like an underdog script. Undrafted out of Lindenwood (FCS), his NFL shot came via a post-draft phone call. “My agent called me up after the draft,” Warren recalled on Steelers Afternoon Drive, his voice likely still carrying the chill of that moment.
“Usually, you get signed in that time, but he told me some teams were interested in me, and so, I got the invite from the Steelers.” He approached it with the mindset of a man who’d battled from Hawaii to Missouri for this chance: “I went into the week and was like, ‘Just play your game, learn fast, and it’s going to mentally and physically exhaust, but this what you worked for and dreamed for.’”
That relentless work ethic and his physical tools—those 33 5/8-inch arms are pure OT gold—impressed Tomlin & Co. enough to earn a spot on the 90-man roster. He’s a classic Steelers UDFA project: big, athletic, coachable, dripping with untapped potential needing refinement (footwork, pad-level consistency).
The Shedeur parallel: CFL teams playing the long game
Warren’s Edmonton listing lands just hours after the Toronto Argonauts made headlines by adding Shedeur Sanders to their negotiation list. The parallels are intriguing, even if the players’ profiles differ wildly. Sanders, the high-profile QB son of Deion, brings elite college production (think 4,134 yards, 37 TDs in 2024) and name recognition, but questions about arm strength and handling NFL pressure saw him slide in the draft. Toronto’s move was a savvy, ‘What if?’—banking on potential future availability if the Browns’ crowded QB room (Watson, Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel) proves too steep a climb.
NFL, American Football Herren, USA Cleveland Browns Minicamp Jun 10, 2025 Berea, OH, USA Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders 12 talk to the media during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Berea CrossCountry Mortgage Campus OH USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xKenxBlazex 20250610_kab_bk4_066
Edmonton’s play for Warren is cut from the same cloth, just targeting a different position. They see a mountain of a man with the athleticism (remember that 5.22s 40?) and versatility (played guard and tackle at Lindenwood, even pulled off a surprising red-zone lateral!) that could translate beautifully to the CFL’s wider field and emphasis on mobility. For the Elks, a franchise steeped in O-line tradition and leading the CFL in rushing (2,365 yds, 6.2 yds/carry in ’24), Warren represents the kind of high-upside, developmental trench warrior they covet.
He fits their blueprint: physical, powerful in the run game, and possessing the raw tools to potentially shore up their pass protection, which took a dip last year. While the Edmonton news is a fascinating footnote, Warren’s primary focus is cracking the Steelers roster.
And Mike Tomlin, a coach who values competition and unearths gems, sees something vital in the big Hawaiian. Warren embodies the Steelers’ OL philosophy: size, athleticism for their zone schemes, and a blue-collar, learn-fast mentality. His ability to potentially play four positions across the line (all but center) makes him invaluable depth in the grueling NFL season.
He’s not just a camp body; he’s a developmental piece with the physical ceiling to become a reliable swing tackle or guard. In the trenches, where games are won and lost with the subtlety of a perfectly executed combo block, Warren is the kind of clay Tomlin loves to mold. His journey from Kailua-Kona rugby fields to potentially protecting Aaron Rodgers’ blindside is a testament to that underdog spirit Pittsburgh adores.
The CFL listing is a reminder of football’s global reach and the contingency plans teams weave. For Gareth Warren, it’s a quiet nod to his potential from a league known for developing talent, but his eyes are firmly set on proving he belongs right where he is: in the crucible of an NFL training camp, fighting for a spot on Mike Tomlin’s Steelers.
Sometimes the deepest talent gems are found off the main scouting radar, waiting for their moment to shine. Warren’s moment is now, Pittsburgh first, with Edmonton patiently waiting in the wings, just in case.
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