After a stellar preseason debut, the Pittsburgh Steelers offense came crashing back down to earth in Week 2 of the preseason. The quarterbacks were the main reason why, but the Steelers running game wasn’t as efficient in Week 2 of the preseason either.
Pittsburgh’s ground game was stuck in neutral with second-year running back Kaleb Johnson getting twice as many carries as anyone else.
The struggles aren’t a good sign for Johnson. But the running back made one thing extremely clear — he expects himself to be much better when he gets his next chance.
“I don’t know where I stand because the sky is the limit for me, and I’m always thinking I’ve above and beyond and always thinking what I can do better,” Johnson told reporters Friday night, via 93.7 The Fan. “I believe I can do better than I did today.”
Johnson led the Steelers in rushing but only gained 39 yards on the ground. Behind 10 carries, Johnson averaged only 3.9 yards per rush.
Steelers Depot’s Troy Montgomery referred to Johnson’s Friday night as “pedestrian.”
Kaleb Johnson Has Mundane Preseason Week 2 Performance
GettyPittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson told reporters he expects to be a lot better than what he showed in Week 2 of the 2026 preseason.
To be fair to Johnson, projected starting running backs Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren also struggled. Neither one averaged more than 3.6 yards per carry while Johnson almost had four yards per rush.
Still, it wasn’t a great night for Johnson.
The running back lacked burst and the ability to break tackles. His longest run of the night was five yards.
Johnson also caught two passes for 15 yards. His longest reception went for nine yards.
It’s only one game in the preseason, but the Steelers had very high hopes for Johnson when they made him a third-round pick in 2025. They expected more than the average to below average performances he gave as a rookie and continued to provide Friday.
Will Johnson Make Steelers Roster?
GettySecond-year running back Kaleb Johnson may be battling for a roster spot with the Pittsburgh Steelers this month.
These preseason opportunities for Johnson are extremely meaningful. While the Steelers lost one of their featured backs from last year, they signed another in Dowdle. Pundits expect Warren and Dowdle to be Pittsburgh’s top two backs.
How Johnson could fit on the depth chart behind them remains to be seen. Typically, an RB3 has to play special teams in some capacity. Johnson, though, doesn’t have experience covering kicks and failed miserably on the kickoff return team last season.
Travis Homer doesn’t have the same upside in the backfield. But he’s a more versatile football player, which could prevent Johnson from making the roster.
Johnson missing the roster cut seemed extremely unlikely to happen even a few weeks ago. But that could be the reality at the moment, especially if Johnson continues to not shine when given opportunities.
Johnson has one more preseason game versus the Buffalo Bills to leave an impression. The Steelers will visit Buffalo on Thursday night, August 27.
Steelers’ Kaleb Johnson Challenges Himself After ‘Pedestrian’ Preseason Showing