Steelers' Omar Khan Delivers Truly Bad News For Kaleb Johnson

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be a very different team in 2026, and a lot of that has to do with the major shakeup on the coaching staff. After 19 years of Mike Tomlin running the show, the coach finally decided to step down, and Mike McCarthy has taken over and brought in almost an entirely new coaching staff. This means some players will have to prove their worth all over again, while others can view this chance as a fresh start and a clean slate. McCarthy is also an offensive-minded head coach, which should factor into some of the roster building throughout the 2026 offseason.

One player that probably likes the coaching changes is running back Kaleb Johnson. He was drafted in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he didn't get many opportunities during his rookie season due to a blunder early in the year paired with the emergence of Kenneth Gainwell. Gainwell played well enough to be the team's MVP for the 2025 season, but plenty of people still have belief in Johnson. 

General Manager Omar Khan spoke to the media on Tuesday, and he was asked about some roster decisions, including Gainwell, who is a pending free agent.

Gainwell played on a one-year deal during the 2025 season on what was essentially the veteran minimum as he earned just over $1.7 million on the year. He may want to stay in Pittsburgh, but the running back should wait until he hits free agency so that he can test his market. There might be more teams interested than initially suspected, which would drive the market up. 

Many fans would probably welcome a Gainwell return to Pittsburgh at the right price, but that would not be a good thing for Johnson. Between Gainwell and Jaylen Warren, the young running back could barely get on the field in 2025. That will likely only continue in 2026, barring some major injury.

Going into the 2025 season, it was thought that Johnson would be the second back to Warren during his rookie year, but that was not the case. Johnson only carried the ball 28 times during his rookie season, while Gainwell and Warren both eclipsed 1,000 yards from scrimmage. The two veteran backs were amazing, but Pittsburgh spent a third-round pick on Johnson for a reason. He needs to be given the chance to see the football field, and that might mean allowing Gainwell to sign elsewhere during free agency. 

Gainwell deserves whatever money he might command in the market, and Pittsburgh already has a starting-caliber running back in Warren. There is no need to commit more money to the position when Johnson is already on the roster, and Pittsburgh has plenty of draft picks to add another running back on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell Could End Up Earning More Than Expected

Gainwell's current market value according to Spotrac is $3 million per season. The site projects that he will sign a two-year deal worth nearly $6 million, although that doesn't really add up with what his production was in 2025. Granted, it has to be considered that he would probably be joining a team as a second back, or at the very least a third-down back. He probably will get less touches than he did in Pittsburgh, but he should still be able to sign for more than $3 million per season. If that is his price, Pittsburgh will gladly have him back, but that would not be good for Johnson and his future in Pittsburgh.

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