Steelers' Mike McCarthy makes news with Kaleb Johnson comments
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Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy made news this week while discussing several players on his roster, including second-year running back Kaleb Johnson.
After a third-round selection and a lot of hype heading into training camp, Johnson didn’t get much run with the first-team offense as a rookie, falling behind veterans Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell on the depth chart.
Fans of his hoped that would change in 2026, with McCarthy taking over and Gainwell likely leaving in free agency, but the Steelers had other plans. Although Gainwell did choose to sign elsewhere, the former Dallas Cowboys HC promptly reunited with Rico Dowdle on the open market, seemingly burying Johnson on the depth chart once again.
On March 31, McCarthy addressed Johnson’s rookie struggles on special teams, as well as his role going forward.
“This is like a Catholic operation,” McCarthy told The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo. “You say three Hail Marys, the priest blessed you, and everybody’s got a clean slate.”
“I understood what happened with [Johnson] on special teams, and so I’ve heard all that,” the new HC went on. “But he’s a young man. I’m going to challenge him to be a three-down player and challenge him to be a special teams player. Those things are a part of being a young running back in this league, especially with the two guys in front of him.”
Steelers HC Mike McCarthy Planning to ‘Challenge’ Kaleb Johnson in 2026
Steelers' Kaleb Johnson gets news from head coach Mike McCarthy
GettyWill Kaleb Johnson carve out a role in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ running back room in 2026?
McCarthy’s “clean slate” comment is certainly positive news for the Steelers third-rounder. And his “three Hail Marys” quote caught some attention on social media, as the new head coach provided fans with his first McCarthyism after years of deciphering Mike Tomlin’s creative way of speaking.
Having said that, the more important quote might have been hidden within McCarthy’s follow-up explanation.
“I’m going to challenge [Johnson] to be a three-down player and challenge him to be a special teams player,” the Steelers HC stated. And that message is as clear as day.
Like every player on the roster, Johnson will have an opportunity in 2026. But that opportunity won’t be handed out; it must be earned.
Johnson is a fresh-legged 22-year-old who turns 23 in August. He’s got years on both Warren and Dowdle, in a good way, and he’s got the talent and the draft status, too.
Want to know what the youngster doesn’t have and failed to show as a rookie? Determination, grit, and an overwhelming desire to succeed.
Johnson went up against a former undrafted rookie and a fifth-round cast-off in 2025 and lost the position battle. Why? Experience played a factor, but the two veterans also wanted it more.
In 2026, he’s going up against two former UDFAs who have fought and clawed their way into starting roles at the NFL level. Johnson must adopt that mentality, and that’s McCarthy’s challenge, at its core.
Kill or be killed. Remember, a “clean slate” wipes away draft status, too.
Steelers Insider Weighs in on McCarthy’s RB News
DeFabo didn’t have a whole lot to say about McCarthy’s quote, but did provide a brief interpretation within his article.
“While Johnson’s kick-return blunder took him out of a special teams role, McCarthy wants to start fresh with all of his players,” DeFabo noted.
Adding: “Ironically, while that miscue on special teams hurt Johnson’s chances of contributing as a rookie, succeeding in the third phase could be critical to him finding a role this year.”
Earlier, DeFabo also relayed that McCarthy “sees offseason addition Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren as runners capable of playing on every down.”
Both this and the special teams assessment should serve as a blunt reality check for Johnson as he attempts to make more of an impact in year two.