The Pittsburgh Steelers lost for the first time during the 2025 season on Sunday as the team was defeated by 14 points to the Seattle Seahawks. The game was close for the most part, but Seattle was able to pull away once the fourth quarter came around. The Steelers fell to 1-1, and will look to bounce back in Week 3 as the franchise will travel to take on the New England Patriots. There are several factors that contributed to the loss, including another poor defensive performance, and huge mental error on special teams.
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Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson runs with the football as he goes through a drill while the team participates in a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Rookie running back Kaleb Johnson has not seen the field much throughout the first two weeks of the season. He hasn't been on the field much on offense, and his only true opportunity has come on special teams as a kick returner. He hasn't been great through two weeks, as he often looks slow, and he even fumbled a return during Pittsburgh's Week 1 victory over the New York Jets.
What he did in Week 2 was even worse as he did not field the return, which allowed Seattle to fall on the ball in the end zone for a touchdown. This essentially sealed the game for the Seahawks, and Head Coach Mike Tomlin was asked about the play after the game.
"Just poor judgement by a young player." Tomlin said.
It is known that the returning team has to field the ball on kickoffs or else the other team can recover the ball and gain possession. It is a relatively simple rule, but Johnson made a mistake and allowed the ball to go past him and sit in the end zone. He could have been thinking that the ball would roll out the back of the end zone, but he could have not understood the rule.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson (20) trains at Saint Vincent College during the 2025 Steelers Training Camp on Thursday July 31, 2025 in Latrobe, PA.
Johnson has not been involved on the offensive side of the ball, and it does not seem like he will be anytime soon. He has made two pretty big mistakes in limited opportunities so far, and he has not made a good impression. He also struggles in pass protection, which is not something Pittsburgh can afford as the offensive line has been shaky to start the year.
The Steelers probably would have lost the game to Seattle even without Johnson essentially handing the opponent a touchdown, but his error completely sucked the life out of the team and the stadium in Pittsburgh. This is a mistake that Johnson will not make again, as it will probably stick in his mind throughout the rest of his career. He probably won't be lining up as a returner in the near future, as the fumble and mental error are enough to force him to lose his job.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson (20) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Steelers May Not Utilize Kaleb Johnson During His 2025 Rookie Season
Pittsburgh has been starting Jaylen Warren at running back, which comes as no surprise. Kenneth Gainwell has also been featured heavily over the first two weeks of the season, and he has shown his versatility and played fairly well. Pittsburgh has not shown much interest in getting Johnson involved so far during the 2025 regular season, and it doesn't seem like that will change moving forward. It will probably take an injury to either Warren or Gainwell in order for Johnson to get more involved.
The fan base is certainly worried about Johnson so far. There are a lot of people hoping that he will be the lead back in Pittsburgh for the foreseeable future, but so far Johnson seems to be more of a bust early on in his career.
What did you think of Johnson's mental error? Did you like Tomlin's response? Let us know in the comments below!
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