Kaleb Johnson won’t be the starter to begin the season, but he’s expected to take on a significant role in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ backfield this year. He took the field in the black and gold for the first time on Saturday and did some decent things, but also had some struggles. Recapping his performance on his [Footbahlin podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp8J_RtQiTw) on Tuesday, former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger had some nice things to say about the rookie.
“I saw the potential… He caught the ball well. I thought he ran the ball hard, he had a nice stiff arm on the Heisman winner, Travis Hunter,” Roethlisberger said. “Small sample size, but I was pleasantly surprised with what I saw. And I’m excited to see more, I really am. Seeing him get more comfortable, I thought he did good in short yardage stuff… I think that’s a good pick.”
On the ground, things weren’t great from a statistical standpoint. Johnson ran the ball eight times and only picked up 20 yards. That comes out to just 2.5 yards per carry. However, Johnson wasn’t the only one to struggle running the ball. Only one other Steelers’ running back averaged more yards per carry than he did. That was Lew Nichols late in the game, who rushed six times for 5.2 yards per carry.
Some blame for the struggles in the run game can go to the offensive line. They did a good job of pass-blocking, but running the ball was a different story. Roethlisberger mentions Kaleb Johnson’s short-yardage capabilities, and he did pick up the first down on third and short early in the game. However, he was also stopped at the line of scrimmage on a 4th and one play later in the game.
Johnson did show some of the potential Roethlisberger mentions, though. Take this carry for an example.
Looking at this play, you’ll notice a massive hole in the middle. It closes quickly, though, with a linebacker coming in to fill the gap. Johnson notices that and smartly bounces outside, picking up a few yards, his longest rush of the game.
However, he is a third-round pick. There’s certainly [still some development ahead of him](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/08/trai-essex-has-some-concerns-after-kaleb-johnsons-debut-left-some-hay-to-be-made/), especially in the passing game.
First things first, Mason Rudolph cannot hold onto the ball for this long. But focusing on Johnson, he could do a lot better here. He goes for the chip first, which is the right move. However, he sticks there for far too long, and should have released as a checkdown for Rudolph to get the ball out.
All of that said, it’s a small sample size, just part of the first preseason game. There’s plenty of work for Kaleb Johnson to do, and that’s normal for a third-round selection. The Steelers maintain high expectations for him, and Roethlisberger seems to be a fan.