Steelers Free Agent Analysis: Kenneth Gainwell
Position: Running Back
Experience: 5 Years (1 with Steelers)
Free Agent Status: Unrestricted
2025 Salary Cap Hit: $1,790,000
2025 Season Breakdown:
Despite signing him to a cheap contract in free agency, the Steelers immediately spoke of Kenneth Gainwell with aspirations. OC Arthur Smith, in particular, seemed to believe there was something in him they could unlock. Quite arguably, they managed to do that. And they did that largely by just giving him the opportunity to play more.
Prior to last season, Gainwell never had more than 114 touches in a season. He maxed out at 547 yards from scrimmage, and he had seven total touchdowns in his three previous seasons combined. With the Steelers, the unheralded free agent basically introduced himself to the NFL.
Not that he took the league by storm, per se, but he proved that he can do more, maybe even much more, than the Eagles ever allowed him to show. As a runner, he rushed for 537 yards on 114 attempts with 5 touchdowns. He averaged 4.7 yards per rush with a 55.3-percent run success rate.
But Smith talked about Kenneth Gainwell’s receiving ability a lot after the Steelers signed him in free agency. He made good use of that, as did Aaron Rodgers. In Pittsburgh, he saw 85 targets, catching 73 for 486 yards and 3 more touchdowns. All told, he produced 1,023 yards from scrimmage on 187 touches with 8 touchdowns. No bad for the Steelers’ investment of $1.79 million in free agency.
Free Agency Outlook:
Even with the regime change, the Steelers should still value Kenneth Gainwell, a coup in free agency the previous year. Signed for under 2 million, he produced a 1,000-yard season with 8 touchdowns. There is a reason his teammates voted him MVP.
That said, there is the matter of what he wants. Would Gainwell even consider re-signing with the Steelers before hitting free agency? With Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith gone and Aaron Rodgers’ return uncertain, where is the urgency?
There is no harm, at least, in testing the open market for Gainwell and seeing if a team other than the Steelers is willing to pay him more in free agency. I don’t know that he will have a larger role elsewhere, but he showed last season that he had more to offer.
The Steelers have a long list of free agents this year, but not absolutely can’t-lose names, at least debatably. Aaron Rodgers is the presumptive exception, the team already going on record expressing the desire that he return. While the list includes significant players like Kenneth Gainwell and Isaac Seumalo, they are not overwhelmingly pressing priorities. The quarterback question supersedes all, and I don’t foresee another Mason Rudolph spring. There are some choice role players, but they wouldn’t fall apart if they lost the entire lot.
And with the Steelers introducing an almost entirely new coaching regime, the direction of free agency is unclear. No doubt we will see how things evolve between February and March. It’s possible they make some significant moves, a surprising cut, or work on a bold trade. After all, this is a new scheme into which they are now building.
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