LATROBE, Pa. --Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith love their rookie running back, Kaleb Johnson, but the rookie’s first NFL performance was rocky.
He had 8 rushes for 20 yards, adding one reception for six yards with a drop. After the game, Johnson said it was nice getting some game action, but he wants to play faster.
“There’s a lot of things that I can work on,” Johnson said. “I just wanted to get my feet wet and get a feel of the game. Everything’s faster. Just going out there and playing faster. Before the first game comes up, I’ll be all ready to go.”
Smith says Johnson is the type of player who can be too hard on himself sometimes, especially when a lot was going on around him that he could not help.
“Kaleb’s a great guy, and that’s why it’s important for those young guys to get out there. You don’t want that to be week one. I don’t care who you are, whether it’s nerves or excitement. It was a big week for him and for all those rookies. We’ll put them to work on Thursday with Tampa, and another preseason game on Saturday night,” Smith said.
Not only did Smith talk to him, but Tomlin had multiple instances where he went over to evaluate the rookie running back’s mindset.
This week, after Johnson’s first in-game exposure, Tomlin hopes to see a huge leap forward.
“For me and him, specifically, I’m talking a lot about not evaluating the performance while you’re living it. We play on Saturday, then we evaluate on Sunday and Monday. So, it was a good conversation. He’s a conscientious young man. He wants to be great. He’s working his tail off, and I’d imagine he’s going to be one of those ones that takes a significant step between game one and game two,” Tomlin said.
Johnson had a massive 2024 season, racking up 1537 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. That earned him an All-Big 10 selection and All-American honors as one of the best running backs in college football.
Now, Johnson hopes to round into form throughout the preseason and become a difference maker on Sundays.
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