The Steelers’ Kaden Wetjen pulls in a touchdown pass from Drew Allar against the Packers in the fourth quarter Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, at Acrisure Stadium. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted the best kick returner in college football, but Kaden Wetjen desires to do more.
He intends to be an NFL receiver.
In his first pro game, the rookie made his mission seem plausible by gaining 74 yards on a nifty catch-and-run after halftime and scoring on a 5-yard catch in the fourth. Wetjen also fielded three kicks and two punts with minimal success in a 28-9 victory over the Packers at Acrisure Stadium, but his contributions on offense opened eyes.
“It was awesome,” Wetjen said. “We didn’t really have the returns that we wanted tonight, but the offense was cooking. It was a good night.”
His short fourth-quarter touchdown catch was solid, but his best play was the all-out sprint that ended just short of the end zone. Wetjen ran about a 12-yard “basic” route before grabbing a ball zipped to him by fellow rookie Drew Allar. Wetjen, a former Iowa standout, then showed the quickness that made him a two-time winner of the Jet Award as college’s best returner.
Wetjen stumbled once, which likely helped a couple of Packers defensive backs pull him down from behind. But his long catch set up Allar for a 3-yard touchdown run two plays later.
“I really didn’t have to do much,” Wetjen said. “They had man coverage, and Drew just put the ball on the spot. As all of us saw, I tripped on my foot and almost face-planted. … But I’m just glad we capitalized at the end of that drive.”
Still, he knew that another step or two was probably all that he needed to reach the goal line.
“I was kind of mad at myself, you know, for a second,” Wetjen said. “Should’ve been a touchdown.”
Regardless, it was a great start for the rookie QB-WR tandem. The reception will go down as Wetjen’s first as a pro, and the pass was Allar’s first.
“Kaden did a good job of separating versus man coverage,” Allar said. “That’s what you need from those guys. … He did a great job of making a play after the catch as well.”
The rookies combined on a 5-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter for a 21-9 lead. Wetjen finished with two catches for 79 yards, a step in the right direction for a player who went to the East-West Shrine Game in January hoping to convince NFL scouts he could be a receiver.
At Iowa, Wetjen had just 20 receptions for 151 yards and a touchdown last season after catching only three passes in 2024. Wetjen said he has tried to learn whatever he can from his new teammates, ever since the Steelers drafted him in the fourth round in April. Route-running is what he’s focused on most nowadays.
“I was always taught to learn from the best, and we’ve got a bunch of great dudes here,” Wetjen said. “Just watching how they operate, watching how they run routes — this is my fourth year playing wide receiver, so I’m still learning stuff.
“It’s just awesome to see some of these guys and just learn, ask questions and develop from them. They’ve been a huge help.”
The Steelers’ return game didn’t find much success Thursday night with some marginal returns negated by penalties. Wetjen gained 61 yards on three kickoffs and 10 yards on two punts.
“Punt return didn’t really get a chance there that I wanted,” Wetjen said. “They were all kind of, I guess, ‘gray area’ and not much there on the returns.”
But Wetjen expressed confidence that there will be better days ahead for the return game.
“From what I’ve experienced, you’ve just got to get reps as a unit,” he said. “Once everybody earns the trust of each other, you kind of read blocks better. I should have hit a couple holes I missed tonight. So it’ll come over time, for sure.”
His preseason debut also left him feeling optimistic that he’d find more opportunities ahead as a receiver. Developing into a pass-catcher at the NFL level isn’t easy, but that hasn’t discouraged Wetjen from trying.
“I love the challenge,” he said. “Once you can kind of do it and have success against some of the highest talent, then that just boosts your confidence and makes it that much easier. So a lot to learn still, but I think we’re on the right track.”
About the Writer
Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.