Steelers' Kaleb Johnson Gets Even More Bad News After Rough Rookie Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a relatively aggressive free agency period that saw General Manager Omar Khan revamping several different areas of the roster. There were a few high-profile additions, but one that has slightly flown under the radar was the newcomer to the running back room. Rico Dowdle inked a two-year deal that has many believing a true 50-50 split will be coming for him and Jaylen Warren. Unfortunately, that would leave 2025 third-round pick Kaleb Johnson at the bottom of the depth chart, which could be a very bad thing for the future of his career in the Steel City.

Fans are well aware of when Johnson's rookie season took a turn for the worst. In the home opener against the Seattle Seahawks, he was set to return a kickoff and after touching the ball, he allowed it to roll into the end zone. It never went out of bounds, and it was eventually recovered by the Seahawks, leading to a touchdown at a crucial time in the contest.

He did not get many opportunities to do much for the rest of the year, and now that Dowdle has entered the mix, there won't be too many chances on the offensive side of things in 2026, barring an injury or two. This has led some to wonder about the new coaching staff possibly already giving up on the young ball carrier. In a mailbag from Mark Kaboly on Monday morning, he was asked if Johnson could be cut. The insider shut that down, but gave the running back bad news anyway.

"No, I don’t see that at all. Now, maybe he doesn’t get a helmet on game days, but you can’t glean a d*mn thing from last year because he didn’t get many opportunities to run the ball," Kaboly wrote. "I have seen running backs make tremendous leaps from their rookie year to their second year, and Johnson could be that guy."

The suggestion from Kaboly is simple: Johnson needs to earn his way into a jersey on Sundays. With the Steelers having an offensive-heavy draft, it's very possible that the team could attempt going into games early on with just two running backs. That approach may not be wise; however, there could be someone unexpected in training camp who turns heads and causes Johnson to be in street clothes when it matters most.

There is pretty much no room for Johnson to get enough chances to prove himself as long as both Warren and Dowdle are healthy. The other thing that doesn't help him is the fact that Mike McCarthy is now the head coach and there's no guarantee that he is fond of his running and playing style. New regimes often find ways to give up on players that were not drafted by them. Khan may have been involved, but McCarthy was not.

Not many ball carriers are taken in the first round, so Johnson's status as a third-round pick isn't something to look past. He has talent, but is now in a crowded room. He might have to work his way up the hard way, and right now it doesn't seem like it's going to be an easy road for the second-year running back.

Steelers Consistently Have A Training Camp Standout

Johnson will have the opportunity to prove that he is more than just a special teams player when training camp begins in July. Unfortunately for him, many other individuals will have those chances as well. If he is not clearly the third-best option in the running back room, it is going to be very difficult for him to find a jersey once the regular season commences. He has a lot riding on the next couple of months.

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