Second-year running back Kaleb Johnson was supposed to receive a fresh start with the Green Bay Packers after the Pittsburgh Steelers traded him following the conclusion of the 2026 preseason.
Maybe that will still come. But nothing resembling a fresh start occurred for Johnson with the Packers in Week 1.
Johnson dressed for Green Bay’s matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. That was an improvement from what he was with the Steelers at the end of last season — a healthy scratch.
But Johnson played just two special teams snaps. He didn’t receive any playing time on offense.
On his two snaps, the Packers used Johnson as a kick returner. Johnson tallied 52 yards on two returns Sunday versus the Vikings.
Packers Deploy Kaleb Johnson as Kick Returner, Not Running Back
There’s quite a bit of irony to the Packers deploying Johnson as a kick returner in his Green Bay debut.
Johnson had one of the biggest gaffes of the NFL season last year with the Steelers when he muffed a kickoff return in Week 2. He simply allowed the kickoff to land and then roll into the end zone like a punt. The Seattle Seahawks recovered it for a touchdown.
The Steelers didn’t use Johnson on special teams again. But that didn’t stop pundits from criticizing the Steelers for deploying Johnson on the return team in the first place.
Johnson is a bruising between-the-tackles runner. Although he did return kickoffs as a freshman at Iowa, he doesn’t appear cut out for the role in the NFL.
The problem, though, is if he’s not returning kickoffs, he doesn’t appear capable of filling another job at the moment.
Will Johnson Get RB Opportunities With Packers?
After losing the kickoff return job, Johnson focused solely on offense for the rest of last season. He served as the team’s RB3 for a majority of the campaign. But starting in December, the Steelers started leaving Johnson off the game day roster, giving all the carries in the backfield to Jaylen Warren and Kenny Gainwell.
While Johnson didn’t play on offense in Week 1, the Packers divided their backfield share between MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks. Of the 68 offensive snaps Sunday, Brooks played 38 of them while Lloyd lined up for 30 snaps. Lloyd, though, out-touched Brooks 13-7.
Lloyd and Brooks split opportunities for the Packers in the team’s first game without Josh Jacobs, who opened the season on the NFL’s Commissioner’s Exempt List. Jacobs pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor charges following an incident in May.
Johnson hasn’t spent much time with the Packers. Green Bay only acquired him from the Steelers a little more than two weeks ago.
But given Lloyd and Brooks were both unimpressive in Week 1, it’s worth wondering when Johnson will get a shot. Lloyd and Brooks combined for 66 rushing yards, averaging 3.3 yards per carry versus the Vikings.
If Johnson doesn’t even get a chance to show he can be better, that’s certainly another poor reflection on the former Steelers third-round pick.
Ex-Steelers RB Kaleb Johnson Gets Familiar Treatment in Packers Debut