Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Kaleb Johnson entered the Pittsburgh Steelers' preseason opener needing to improve his roster standing. Waiting until late in the third quarter to play, then gaining three yards on two carries, only confirmed why he'd spent training camp as the third running back.
Johnson's first carry went sideways before it went forward. On his first attempt, he bounced off his own man into the waiting arms of several Green Bay defenders.
On the second, Johnson drove into a pile of linemen without spotting room to cut, leaving the same questions about vision and short-area adjustment that followed him through his rookie season.
Kaleb Johnson is running out of time to secure his Pittsburgh Steelers future
Travis Homer, signed in free agency, opened the game as RB1 before giving way to Lew Nichols. Homer is entering his eighth NFL season and hasn't handled a significant offensive role since 2020, but his special-teams work fills a need Pittsburgh has struggled to address this offseason.
Nichols built on his promising 2025 preseason with another productive summer in 2026, then led Pittsburgh with 36 rushing yards and 3.6 yards per carry against the Green Bay Packers.
Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle already own a significant share of offensive snaps; Homer can stabilize special teams, and Nichols has made better use of his preseason opportunities. Johnson hasn't provided a good reason to bump any of them.
Johnson, now 23, produced 69 rushing yards on 28 carries across 10 games as a rookie, averaging 2.5 yards per attempt after a special-teams mistake in Week 2 hurt future opportunities. His career-high rushing game was 22 yards on six attempts against the Vikings in Week 4.
His career-high return output was 132 yards in the opener against the New York Jets, but that early burst never developed into a dependable job.
Omar Khan acknowledged at the combine that Johnson's debut season had been disappointing, adding pressure before camp even opened. While Broderick Jones' story is still being written, Johnson is tracking as the first early-round draft miss of Khan's tenure.
A trade would spare Pittsburgh from cutting a recent third-round pick, though Johnson's rookie tape and depth-chart position leave little leverage. Any return would likely be minimal, assuming another team calls at all.
The Aug. 30 cutdown deadline gives Johnson limited time to move beyond RB3. If his next opportunity again comes after halftime -- which by all signs it will -- those few carries could determine whether he's on the roster Aug. 31.
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