The Pittsburgh Steelers have drafted well over the last several years, which is a good reason to be somewhat optimistic about the future of the organization, despite some important pieces being up in the air. There have been a ton of hits in recent drafts, but running back Kaleb Johnson has not been one of them. He had a rough rookie season in 2025 after being a third-round pick during the draft. He struggled to see the field on offense, and he also squandered any opportunity he had on special teams by making a crucial error that gave the opposing team seven points in Week 2.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Kaleb Johnson looks to run while playing the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin, Ireland during the 2025 season.
Johnson didn't see much of the field on offense during his rookie season, and that is due to Jaylen Warren being the starting running back in Pittsburgh. It also didn't help that Kenneth Gainwell emerged as a star and wound up being the Team MVP for the 2025 season. Gainwell is scheduled to hit free agency in March, and he should want to test his market to see what he could sign for. This could open up some opportunities for Johnson in 2026, and former Pittsburgh offensive lineman, Trai Essex, recently shared on his podcast Snap Count that he expects big things from the young running back.
"I don't think the book, or the chapter has closed on Kaleb Johnson," Essex said. "I don't think they need to give up on him by any means, I think he showed some skill back there, I think he can be really great, depending on what kind of run scheme we are implementing with James Campen. He seems to be very strong when it comes to zone-read type running plays. Hopefully he can find a place; he showed some ability."
The young running back was probably grateful to see that the Steelers essentially brought in an entirely new coaching staff. He gets to turn over a new leaf and forget about whatever trials and tribulations occurred during his rookie year. His special teams error against the Seattle Seahawks as mentioned earlier essentially ruined any chance he had of success in his rookie year as he was basically in the doghouse for the remainder of the season.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson (20) trains and runs with the football at Saint Vincent College during the 2025 Steelers training camp on Thursday, July 31, 2025 in Latrobe, PA.
There was a good mount of excitement surrounding Johnson heading into his rookie season, but that was before fans realized just how big of a role Gainwell was going to play on the offense. Many fans probably expected Johnson to have the kind of usage rate that Gainwell did, but that was clearly not the case. Johnson essentially got to sit back and develop for a year, which could be good for him in the long run.
Johnson finished his rookie season with just 28 rushing attempts for 69 yards, and that amounts to roughly 2.5 yards per carry. He is going to have to improve in his second season if he wants to see the field more and avoid any more healthy scratches.
Steelers' New Coaching Staff Can Absolutely Help Kaleb Johnson
Pittsburgh is going to have a new offensive approach in 2026 under Mike McCarthy, and that is great for Johnson. He will also be working with two fantastic offensive line coaches in James Campen and Jahri Evans. The run game should improve as a whole, which hopefully means that Johnson can be a bit more effective when given the opportunity to do so in his sophomore season.
AP Photo
Former Green Bay Packers offensive line coach James Campen speaks with his center during a game.
Johnson must have a good offseason in 2026. The organization can still sign another running back or acquire one through the 2026 NFL Draft. McCarthy has some of his former running backs on the market, and a reunion is definitely possible.
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