The Pittsburgh Steelers underwent a lot of roster construction throughout the 2025 offseason. Personnel changes can be seen all throughout the roster, and a lot of the changes could and should be considered upgrades. While some of the changes were good, there is some skepticism around some of the decisions that were made by the front office. Most of those decisions came on the offensive side of the ball, which is an area of the game that the Steelers have been desperate to improve upon in recent years.
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Steelers rookie Kaleb Johnson powering through drills and carrying the football with determination during the team's mandatory minicamp.
A position where a lot of change occurred was in the offensive backfield. Najee Harris was the lead back in Pittsburgh for four straight seasons, and the running back never missed a start. Many fans thought the organization would pick up his fifth-year option going into the 2024 season, but the franchise decided not to which made him a free agent when the season came to an end. He wound up signing with the Los Angeles Chargers, and Pittsburgh went in a different direction at running back with Jaylen Warren, Kaleb Johnson, and Kenneth Gainwell.
These changes are seen as an upgrade by some, but team insider Gerry Dulac is a little skeptical about the running backs heading into 2025.
"For all the offseason moves that have improved a lot of positions, people are ignoring the fact the running game is not one of them," Dulac wrote. "Don't get me wrong, I like Kaleb Johnson and I liked the pickup of Kenneth Gainwell. But when you look at the production Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren provided the past two seasons, this current group might have to go a long way to match it. Right now, it is not a position you can say is improved."
Harris departing the Steelers in free agency leaves a lot of production unaccounted for. He rushed for at least 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons in Pittsburgh, while Warren was very productive as a second option. He is now being relied upon as the lead back, and there is no guarantee that he will be able to produce the way Harris did in years past.
Sebastian Foltz / Post-Gazette
Steelers running back Jaylen Warren carries the football during a team practice session as he continues preparing for an expanded role in Pittsburgh’s backfield ahead of the 2025 season.
While Warren is now being relied upon to be a bigger part of the offense, Johnson is also going to be counted upon to produce as a second option. Johnson is just a rookie, so there is no guarantee that he is going to find immediate success in the NFL. Many fans also believe there is a chance that Johnson will be able to supplant Warren as the lead back in the offense at some point during his rookie year, but that is expecting a lot from a rookie who was a third round selection.
There is good reason to believe the running game might be more explosive for Pittsburgh in 2025, but Harris departing means a lot of production needs to be released. Warren and Johnson should be able to do that, but there is good reason to be skeptical.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith looks down at his play sheet while players work out during 2025 rookie minicamp at the UPMC Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.
Steelers Will Be Relying Heavily On The Running Game
It is no secret that Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith is going to want to run the ball a lot in 2025. It is the focal point of his offense, and the coaching staff is going to want to take a good amount of pressure off of 41-year old quarterback Aaron Rodgers. This means Johnson and Warren are going to need to step up in a big way to open things up in the passing game. If that doesn't happen, the offense fans see in 2025 might be more of what was seen in recent years.
What do you expect from the running backs in 2025? Let us know in the comments below!
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