Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson is still trying to become worthy of his coaching staff’s attention in the backfield. For what it’s worth, Johnson certainly grabbed attention on social media to end this week.
SI on Packers’ Bill Huber posted a short clip on X of Johnson running a drill at practice Thursday. The 5-second video showed the running back running straight into a sled.
In a little more than 24 hours, the clip received nearly three million views.
It’s not clear why the video attracted so much attention. It’s possibly it could be because two Packers assistant coaches appear to react worryingly to the way Johnson ran the drill.
A couple of social media users expressed that while leaving a comment on the clip.
But Huber explained he didn’t post the clip for any reason other than to show Johnson working out at practice.
Johnson found himself in a familiar role during his Packers debut last week. He dressed but didn’t play at all on offense. Instead, he received just two snaps on special teams as a kick returner.
Johnson returned two kickoffs for a total of 52 yards.
Packers RB Kaleb Johnson Going Viral on X
There’s quite a few former Steelers players to keep an eye on early in 2026. Under general manager Omar Khan, the team has been quick to admit to player personnel mistakes in recent years, which is why there’s a lot of players now with other organizations who were once in Pittsburgh.
Johnson is one of the bigger names, though, as he was a third-round pick just a year ago. A lot of pundits saw Johnson emerging as a starter during his rookie season and perhaps even an immediate star.
Instead, Johnson had just 28 carries for 69 yards during 2025. He also registered one catch for nine yards in 10 games. At the end of last season, he was mostly a healthy scratch.
The most notable moment of Johnson’s Steelers tenure was a muffed kickoff the Seattle Seahawks recovered for a touchdown during Week 2. It was a major gaffe that caused Johnson to not receive any more kickoff return opportunities last season.
The Steelers received significant criticism for using the running back on the kickoff return team. Johnson is a between-the-tackles runner, not an elusive man in space, which is typically the trait teams want in a returner.
Yet, the only job Johnson had in his Packers debut was on the kickoff return team.
In Week 2, Johnson could see more opportunities on offense thanks to Green Bay’s struggling backfield. Without Josh Jacobs in the season opener, MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks combined for only 66 rushing yards versus the Minnesota Vikings.
Perhaps Johnson gets an offensive opportunity against the New York Jets on Sunday if Lloyd and Brooks can’t cut it again.
Steelers RB Depth Without Johnson
It’s quite unfortunate the Steelers wasted a third-round pick on Johnson. All Pittsburgh received in return for the running back from Green Bay was a 2028 sixth-round pick.
But at least the Steelers appeared to be in good hands in the backfield this season.
Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle could be a formidable 1-2 running back punch. The duo didn’t get a lot of chances to show that in Week 1, but Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy was critical of his own play-calling. It wouldn’t be surprising if McCarthy tries to establish the Pittsburgh ground game more Sunday versus the New England Patriots.
The Steelers also added better returners than Johnson in this year’s draft with Kaden Wetjen and Eli Heidenreich, the latter of which is Pittsburgh’s RB3.
By the end of the season, Dowdle could be the team’s primary ball-carrier while Warren supports him in a 1A role. Warren is also a pretty lethal pass-catcher as is Heidenreich, who the Steelers actually list as a RB/WR.
There was just not any room for Johnson in that running back rotation. He will try to earn his keep in Green Bay’s rotation instead, that is, in addition to going viral on social media.
Ex-Steelers RB Kaleb Johnson Goes Viral With Packers Practice Video