The Pittsburgh Steelers have a few interesting position battles that will be taking place during training camp ahead of the 2026 season. Most battles will be spots on the depth chart behind the starters, but those are still an important aspect of team building. That is going to be happening behind Aaron Rodgers in the quarterback room, and it will also be going on with the running backs behind Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle. Special teams and pass protection is going to come into play, which might not be good news for Kaleb Johnson or Eli Heidenreich.
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Steelers' Travis Homer during his time with the Chicago Bears before walking out of the tunnel ahead of a home game.
The top two spots at running back are already locked in with Warren and Dowdle. Those two are expected to split the carries, and they can each be considered the starter in some way. It will be different on a week-to-week basis. Behind them, Johnson, Heidenreich, and Travis Homer are the backs that fill out the running back room that will actually be competing for spots on the final roster. Those are three backs competing for what could end up being just one spot. In 2025, the franchise kept three running backs, and that could be the case again.
Beat writer Nick Farabaugh joined 93.7 The Fan on Tuesday morning, and he was asked about players that could surprise some people during training camp. He spoke about the rookies, and he then mentioned Homer.
"I guess one guy that I've talked about multiple times, who I still think is going to be someone that people are kind of going to learn the name of, is Travis Homer," Farabaugh said. "I still think he's someone at running back that, he's a vet, he's been in the league for eight years. He does a little bit of everything. I think when the first backs on backers happens, those reps for Travis Homer are going to get some attention. Because he is a really, really good pass protecting back. He has got all the technique down. He's really big and stocky. He just packs a punch man, he stuns people on tape."
While this is great news that the Steelers found a quality back in free agency, it might upset some fans as it could cost a younger player a roster spot. Heidenreich has been a fan-favorite ever since being selected in the seventh round, and fans are still hoping Johnson can turn things around after being a third-round pick in 2025.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson carries the ball during a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2025 season.
Homer sounds like he would be the reliable option to keep on the roster as the third back. He is playable in any situation due to his ability to protect the quarterback out of the backfield, and he also has a good amount of experience. He has also contributed on special teams throughout his career, which is a necessity for a player on the back half of the depth chart.
Johnson and Heidenreich are going to need to prove that they can compete with Homer when it comes to pass protection and that they can be relied upon in the third phase of the game. Without either of those two qualities, it might be hard to make the final roster.
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Steelers' Eli Heidenreich during mandatory minicamp in 2026.
Steelers Could Keep Four Running Backs
Pittsburgh kept three backs in 2025, but that can absolutely change. The roster is already going to be interesting though as the team is going to consider keeping four quarterbacks, which is already abnormal enough and that eats up a roster spot. The franchise can hope to try to stash either Johnson or Heidenreich on the practice squad, but that would be extremely risky. That is especially true for a former third-round pick like Johnson. The Steelers have to give him more time to prove he can be a contributor.
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