Steelers' Kenneth Gainwell Will Definitely Be One Of Free Agency’s Best Value Signings In 2026

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the midst of one of the most important offseasons in recent memory. They have their fair share of veterans on questionable contracts, but they also have some young, promising players. With new head coach Mike McCarthy, the 2026 team will be very interesting, as McCarthy has no loyalty to anyone on the roster. That includes free agents whom the Steelers have yet to re-sign. Luckily for the Black and Gold, they don't have very many players to bring back. They certainly have guys that would be well accepted if they did re-sign, but Kenneth Gainwell is the easy priority. He is currently set to be a free agent on March 11th.  

Gainwell came out of nowhere in 2025, winning the Team MVP Award. He signed a small one-year deal worth $1.79 million in the 2025 offseason. When the team drafted Kaleb Johnson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, it was assumed that Gainwell would solely become the team's third running back. That was not the case. Gainwell led the running backs in snaps in Week 1. As the season went on, Gainwell and Jaylen Warren became a 1A-1B type duo. Gainwell led the Steelers in catches with 73 and tallied 537 rushing yards. He even contributed on special teams, forcing a crucial fumble in the team's Week 1 win over the New York Jets. It was easy to see why he was voted as the team's MVP. 

Bill Barnwell spoke on his show, The Bill Barnwell Show, about the upcoming free agent class. He spoke specifically about Gainwell and where he fits into this free agent class of running backs. 

"He was a really, legitimately useful player. And has been for the majority of his career. The production was there last year in Pittsburgh," Barnwell noted. "You don't want to pay for a Kenneth Walker or a Travis Etienne? I think Gainwell is gonna fit right in that middle tier. He's gonna get less than what Javonte Williams got. And I think he could be every bit as good of a player."

The running back free agent class is loaded, featuring the Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III and other big names such as Travis Etienne, Rico Dowdle, and Rachaad White. With all of these names set to hit the open market, Gainwell hasn't gotten the attention he deserves. He may not be the household name, but he is certainly one of the top running backs in this class and should be talked about as such. 

Gainwell is used to this; just look at his time with the Philadelphia Eagles. In Philly, Gainwell was never more than a second running back. In his last season with the Eagles, he sat in the shadow of Saquon Barkley, who had one of the best seasons ever for a running back. Despite this, Gainwell was still a really good player; he made huge plays for the Eagles, specifically against the Steelers. This led the Steel City to be interested in Gainwell's services.

Steelers Need To Get This Done

Free agency is just around the corner, yet the Steelers haven't re-signed a single pending free agent.  It's not a cap issue; they have almost $50 million in cap space thanks to the recent release of Jonnu Smith and Calvin Anderson. Gainwell won't be a bank-breaking extension; he will likely get a similar contract as Warren. That would be a steal considering the production he produced for the offense. At times, it felt like Gainwell was the team's only offensive threat, which is why he led them in receptions as a running back. 

General Manager Omar Khan must get this deal done as soon as possible. The Steelers offense is already void of offensive playmakers, and they can't afford to lose one of their best ones.

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