Steelers' Kaleb Johnson Continues To Endure Searing News About His 2026 Role

The Pittsburgh Steelers are just going through their 2026 offseason activities and have just wrapped up their mandatory minicamp. As always, some key position battles are occurring throughout the offseason, and some players are looking to prove themselves, whether that's through an increased role, or trying to make the team in general. The Pittsburgh roster is pretty loaded with some positions even having multiple players battling for the spot, like at guard. This time of the year will be a way for players to show out for coaches in hopes of getting the role they believe they deserve. Head Coach Mike McCarthy will have some tough decisions in the coming months. 

Among those position groups that have some players fighting for roles is running back. Though the position is top-heavy with players like Jaylen Warren and the newly-acquired Rico Dowdle, the depth is still up in the air. With an addition like Dowdle, Steelers' second-year back Kaleb Johnson will be pushed to the RB3 role, at the very least. However, earlier in the offseason, Pittsburgh signed special teams ace Travis Homer to a deal. With Johnson not being a factor on that unit anymore, things could be on the downtrend for the young back. 

Johnson is in no way a cut candidate per se, and many expected his role to be increased in 2026. However, with some of the new players around him, it seems he'll still have to fight for a role. Training camp and the preseason will be a good way to do that, but NFL writer Kevin Patra believes there's a chance that Johnson may not even be a part of the team on game day.  He wrote about Johnson in a feature story he did on the young player for the league's website. 

"If Johnson isn't going to earn significant special teams duty, he could have trouble being active on game days. Entering Year 2, the third-rounder might not be a cut candidate, but he needs an impressive camp and preseason to ensure he has a role in 2026," Patra wrote. 

Johnson, not even being active on game days, would be a huge hit for his confidence heading into only his second year in the league, but with the running back not being a factor on special teams, it might be the right choice. The Steelers would rather have a player who would impact the game take up the roster spot, rather than a running back who may not even see the field on offense. Unfortunately, this is the reality of football. While many fans want to see Johnson bounce back, he may have to wait longer than anticipated. 

After last year's kick return blunder in Week 2 when Johnson lost control of the kick, and it resulted in a touchdown for the opposition, he saw his role become nearly nonexistent besides in garbage time. The previous coaching staff clearly didn't believe in a large workload for him, especially with the running backs who were in the room in 2025. However, a new coaching staff could really help him develop, if given the opportunity. He'll just really have to prove himself in training camp and the preseason. Some things that could help him are learning special teams and becoming a better pass catcher. If he can prove that he is willing to hone in on some of his weaknesses, he can find some extra snaps. 

What Will The Steelers' Running Back Situation Look Like In 2026?

With Dowdle and Warren both being capable starting backs, the two will both split snaps situationally. With Dowdle being used on earlier downs, and Warren being used on third down based on his blocking and receiving abilities, the two have a chance to be a dynamic duo. 

The Steelers' run game will look to become dominant again, as the offense will want to improve on its numbers from last year. With two high-quality backs and an improving line, it's only up from here. 

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