When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected running back Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the NFL Draft back in April, just about everyone expected Johnson to be an immediate contributor.
After all, Johnson was coming off of a masterful 2024 campaign at Iowa in which he racked up 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground, leading the Big Ten in both categories.
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However, at this point, it's pretty clear that the Steelers do not feel that Johnson is prepared for regular action, as they have placed him third on the depth chart behind Jaylen Warren and free-agent addition Kenneth Gainwell.
Pittsburgh allowed Najee Harris to walk earlier this offseason, which opened the door for a new candidate to take over as the featured back in Steel City. And maybe Johnson will assume that role one day. But for now, he is obviously nothing more than a depth piece for the Steelers heading into the regular season.
Perhaps Pittsburgh is placing more trust in Gainwell as the No. 2 due to the fact that he has displayed solid pass-catching skills on the professional level, something we have not yet seen from Johnson. Additionally, Gainwell is a terrific pass blocker, an area in which Johnson is entirely unproven.
Still, Gainwell rushed for just 290 yards with the Philadelphia Eagles last season and has amassed a grand total of 1,185 yards in four years, so it's not like he has been incredibly productive on the ground. Maybe the Steelers will begin giving more touches to Johnson as the campaign progresses.
Or, maybe Pittsburgh really just prefers to keep Johnson on a learning curve for the entirety of his rookie season before potentially turning him loose next year. It should be noted, though, that the Steelers also just signed Warren to a two-year contract extension.
Pittsburgh will open up against the New York Jets this Sunday.
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This story was originally published September 2, 2025 at 4:53 PM.