The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t have a ton of draft picks in 2025, but there sure were some fan favorites over the summer. One was obviously Will Howard. Another was Kaleb Johnson, a third-round running back out of Iowa. We heard nothing but good things about Johnson through the offseason workouts and the early part of training camp.
Unfortunately, things never got going for him. He was relatively quiet in the preseason, and a Week 2 kickoff blunder put him on Mike Tomlin’s naughty list, something he was never really able to escape.
After an essentially non-existent rookie season, there are some doubts about Johnson’s future in Pittsburgh. But to former Steeler Trai Essex, it could still be a bright one.
“I don’t think the book, or the chapter has closed on Kaleb Johnson. I don’t think they need to give up on him by any means, I think he showed some skill back there, I think he can be really great, depending on what kind of run scheme we are implementing with [new offensive line coach] James Campen,” Essex said Monday on his Snap Count podcast. “He seems to be very strong when it comes to zone-read type running plays. Hopefully he can find a place; he showed some ability.”
Statistically, Kaleb Johnson did not do much with his carries. He ran the ball 28 times for 2.5 yards per attempt and caught one pass for nine yards. He never found the end zone and picked up two first downs on the year. Not an ideal first season for a third-round pick.
The kick-return mishap was inexcusable. But it’s unfortunate that it affected the rest of his rookie season as much as it did. Johnson received less than three carries per game, and there were long instances in which he never saw action. After such a big mistake in just his second game, it was always going to be hard to build any sort of rhythm. Although Johnson said he never lost confidence, playing time was very scarce after the Steelers’ Week 2 loss.
The emergence of Kenneth Gainwell didn’t help his chances, either. And while the Steelers will likely try to retain him, Gainwell will earn himself a lot of money in free agency. If the Steelers lose Gainwell, perhaps that gives Johnson more of a chance to compete for carries. Mike McCarthy certainly isn’t afraid of a zone-blocking scheme in the run game, something Johnson excelled in at Iowa.
It certainly wasn’t the rookie season Kaleb Johnson was expecting. And with a new staff in town, he might have an uphill battle as he hopes to earn more of a role in 2026. But he has one supporter in Essex.
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