Second-year player Kaleb Johnson could be in danger of becoming a forgotten running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers this year. Mike McCarthy wasn’t Pittsburgh’s head coach when the organization selected Johnson in the NFL Draft. The team also added three new running backs this offseason.
Johnson, though, is making strides this spring in the hopes of trying to find a role in the Steelers offense this fall.
Pittsburgh running backs coach Ramon Chinyoung Sr. addressed Wednesday how Johnson has improved in the team’s offseason workouts.
“With Kaleb, the No. 1 thing is just his professionalism,” said Chinyoung. “He’s taken that to another level. He’s been doing a great job from his body of work, showing up every day.
“Doing the little things, studying, building relationships with the guys in the room, leaning on guys like Rico [Dowdle] and Jaylen [Warren] and just making himself as accessible as he possibly can so he can continue to grow.”
Johnson is one of seven running backs on the team’s offseason roster. That includes seventh-round rookie Eli Heidenreich.
Heidenreich is one of the three new running backs on the roster.
Steelers’ Kaleb Johnson Raising Professionalism in OTAs
College football is becoming more like the professional level. But young men can still struggle with their transition from the highest amateur level to the NFL.
That’s not to say Johnson wasn’t a professional last year. There’s no arguing, though, it’s a great thing for the Steelers that the young running back is raising his level of commitment to reaching his potential.
Johnson received quite a bit of hype last season when the team picked him at No. 83 overall in the third round. Last spring, Johnson was fresh off a college season at Iowa where he ran for a Big 10-high 1,537 rushing yards.
In 2024, Johnson also had 21 rushing touchdowns and a conference-high 23 total touchdowns on his way to the All-American team.
But Johnson found himself behind Jaylen Warren and Kenny Gainwell at the start of his rookie campaign. As a result, the Steelers elected to try Johnson on the kickoff return team.
In Week 2, Johnson made a huge blunder on the unit, muffing a kickoff that the Seattle Seahawks recovered for a touchdown.
Not fully understanding the NFL kickoff rules is an example of where Johnson’s professionalism as a rookie fell short.
What Could Johnson Provide Steelers in 2nd Season?
The 22-year-old never really recovered from the special teams gaffe last season. He didn’t receive another chance on special teams again.
On offense, he got some opportunities in Weeks 4 and 6. But after that, he never received more than eight snaps in a single game.
After Week 15, he was a healthy scratch the rest of the season.
The Steelers didn’t bring back Gainwell in NFL free agency. That appeared to be the opening that Johnson was going to need this summer to earn more playing time in 2026.
But to replace Gainwell, the Steelers signed free agent Rico Dowdle. The team also still has Warren, the team’s 2025 leading rusher.
For additional depth, the Steelers also drafted Heidenreich and signed Travis Homer.
The latter two aren’t significant threats to Johnson getting snaps in the Pittsburgh backfield. But assuming everyone’s healthy, to play a lot more this fall, Johnson’s going to have to take snaps away from either Dowdle or Warren.
Holding himself accountable with a higher level of professionalism is the first step to accomplishing that goal.
Steelers RB Coach Speaks out on Kaleb Johnson at Offseason Workouts