On paper, the Pittsburgh Steelers are an incredibly deep team when it comes to how the depth chart is shaping up to look for the 2026 season. Injuries will determine if this will be seriously tested or not, specifically at the cornerback position on defense. However, the offense had some new faces join the room and should be much better than it has been recently. It's won't just be the guys putting on pads who will help, though. Mike McCarthy has been known to be an offensive mastermind for some time, and he officially was hired to lead the locker room back in January.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy stands in front of the media to answer questions as the team goes through 2026 mandatory minicamp workouts in Pittsburgh, PA.
All good general managers typically don't get selfish when roster construction is going on year-in and year-out. The goal of someone like Omar Khan is to put together a group that best fits the head coach's personality, scheme and overall approach to winning football games. This is why a lot of McCarthy's former players from when he was with the Dallas Cowboys have found their respective ways to Pittsburgh.
One of those playmakers happens to be Rico Dowdle, a strong running back that has had a successful, yet underrated career to this point. Both he and Jaylen Warren should see plenty of snaps, and that could add a nice wrinkle to the unit, which will hopefully make it very difficult for opposing defensive coordinators to game plan.
The Steelers are no stranger to a two-back system. Kenneth Gainwell was signed to a one-year deal back in 2025 and made sure to make the most of his opportunity. He ended up becoming the team's Most Valuable Player when it was all said in done. This really hampered the development and playing time for then-rookie Kaleb Johnson, who is once again in a tough spot due to Dowdle's arrival.
In a recent piece for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, beat writer Ray Fittipaldo didn't necessarily have good news for the second-year running back. Despite his draft pedigree, he might be on the outside looking in for a roster spot.
"The last time the Steelers moved on from a third-round pick after one season was 2022, when they cut offensive lineman Kendrick Green," Fittipaldo noted. "There has been some speculation running back Kaleb Johnson, last year’s third-round pick, could be on this year’s cutting line."
It's not just one individual who is holding back Johnson. There are a lot of guys in the room that could push for a role, and all of them are arguably better special teams options overall for the Steelers.
"Johnson is battling for a roster spot with veteran Travis Homer, as well as Lew Nichols and Eli Heidenreich. Homer is a core special teams player and likely has an edge because of that," Fittpaldo wrote. "He’ll be given plenty of opportunities over the next three weeks to prove he’s worthy of a roster spot, but it will be up to him to show why he should be on the team."
Johnson is going to have to have an incredible preseason to convince the Steelers and McCarthy — a coach that wasn't around when he was drafted — that he should stick around for another year.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson running with the football during training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Johnson's rookie year took a turn for the worse when he was getting ready to return a kickoff against the Seattle Seahawks. He allowed the ball to bounce into the end zone without ever going to retrieve it and take a knee. This led to an unlikely touchdown for the opponent.
Still not over Kaleb Johnson just not knowing the rules in a close game and gifting the Seahawks a free touchdown
— SleeperSeahawks (@SleeperSeahawks) April 1, 2026
George Holani’s first NFL TD! pic.twitter.com/abjNJTJZm9 https://t.co/KOOd6nASR2
This clearly put him in a difficult position with the Steelers. He was not afforded many opportunities after that, and Gainwell's emergence made it even more difficult for him to showcase his skills. Now, his spot on the roster is in some real jeopardy.
Steelers Have To Give Johnson Plenty Of Reps In The Preseason
Besides the two young quarterbacks, it can be argued that Pittsburgh's slate of exhibition contests are the most important for Johnson. He was supposed to be a potential starting ball carrier in the NFL, and has turned into anything but during his short career. If the Steelers are going to cut him, it needs to be after McCarthy and co. are sure that he can't produce. The only way to find that out is by feeding him in the games throughout August.
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