How fragile is Kaleb Johnson’s job security going into his second season?
Staff changes mean priority changes, and Kaleb Johnson may not be a priority for the Steelers’ new coaching staff. Not that he was for the old coaching staff, either—the one that actually drafted him. By the end of his rookie season, he was on the bench as a healthy scratch.
But it’s reasonable to give rookies some grace, understanding they might take time to develop. Running backs are typically able to contribute at a sufficient level sooner than most positions, but it’s not universally true. Yet the Steelers made a big signing in free agency at Kaleb Johnson’s position, putting him clearly in harm’s way.
Pittsburgh already has Jaylen Warren at running back, and now Rico Dowdle as well. Last season, outsiders weren’t sure what they would get out of Kenneth Gainwell. They know in advance, however, that Dowdle is a 200-touch player, at least. Between him and Warren, there isn’t much room for Johnson.
A third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Kaleb Johnson played roughly 50 snaps as a rookie. Most of them resulted in rushing attempts, of which 75 percent resulted in an unsuccessful play for the offense. But what can he do in his second season?
The truth is nobody knows, and we won’t know until we get into the regular season. That is assuming Johnson makes the roster. Because he looked good in the offseason a year ago, at least in spurts. Enough, anyway, to have the beat writers talking about him being potentially already the best running back on the team at one point or another.
The question is, how much patience will the Steelers’ new coaching staff have for him? They have no connections to Kaleb Johnson, so if he fails, there is no personal sense of failure. But would Pittsburgh carry Travis Homer as its third running back, given his special teams priorities? While a third-string running back needs to play special teams, he also typically needs to be able to play a little bit of offense.
The Steelers exited the playoffs in the first round yet again, a pattern going back to 2017.With seven consecutive postseason losses, and no wins in nearly a decade, they are facing another long, long offseason. No doubt we will see many changes, but none will top Mike Tomlin’s resignation.
The NFL has crowned its latest champion, but for us and the Steelers, we have been in offseason mode. That’s what happens when the team you coverloses by the middle of January all the time, but you’ve been around, so you know that already. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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