"He Was Getting Screamed At": Steelers Kaleb Johnson Only Noticeable After Dumb Mistake

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered their first preseason game of 2026 with several young players demanding attention, but running back Kaleb Johnson was almost completely invisible.

Johnson received only two carries for three yards during Pittsburgh's 28-9 victory over the Green Bay Packers. That workload immediately left Steelers fans wondering why a 2025 third-round pick received so few opportunities during a game built for evaluating the bottom of the roster.

Steelers reporter Mike DeFabo may have provided part of the explanation during an appearance on his The Yinziders podcast. DeFabo revealed that the only memorable moment involving Johnson came when a special teams coach was yelling at him following an apparent mistake.

"He got two carries for three yards, and truly, the only time that I recognized Kaleb Johnson in that game was when he was getting screamed at by the special teams coach for making a mistake," DeFabo said. "That was the only time that I noticed him during the game."

DeFabo did not identify the exact mistake or say that it caused Johnson's limited offensive workload. That distinction matters. However, another special teams error would be particularly concerning because of the defining mistake from Johnson's rookie season.

During Pittsburgh's Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in 2025, Johnson failed to secure a bouncing kickoff and treated the play as if it had ended after the football entered the end zone. Seattle's George Holani recognized that the ball remained live and recovered it for a touchdown, extending the Seahawks' lead to 24-14. The Steelers' official recap described the sequence and included former head coach Mike Tomlin calling it poor judgment by a young player.

Johnson never appeared to fully recover from that moment. He finished his rookie season with only 28 carries for 69 yards across 10 appearances and was inactive for Pittsburgh's final three games, according to his official rookie recap.

"I think the running back three competition is still a bit unsettled, but Kaleb Johnson certainly looks like he is trending toward being cut," DeFabo said. "I mean, he just does."

Steelers May Have Lost Confidence In Kaleb Johnson

Johnson potentially being released after only one season would be brutal for him and the organization. Pittsburgh selected him 83rd overall in the 2025 NFL Draft after he produced 1,537 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns during his final season at Iowa. His college tape showed patience, power and the ability to explode through open rushing lanes. Former offensive coordinator Arthur Smith even called Johnson one of the most instinctive running backs he had evaluated in several years after Pittsburgh drafted him.

Johnson also arrived with tremendous confidence. Before his rookie season, he suggested he could surpass 1,000 rushing yards and discussed competing for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Neither goal felt unreasonable to everyone at the time because of his talent and potential role.

Something clearly changed between that optimism and his current position. The disastrous kickoff against Seattle may have damaged Johnson's confidence and the coaching staff's trust more than anyone realized. Now, another apparent special teams mistake has surfaced while he struggles to secure meaningful offensive work.

DeFabo identified Lew Nichols and Travis Homer as Johnson's primary competition for RB3. Nichols has reportedly looked better as a pure runner because of his patience and burst. Homer has underwhelmed offensively, but his established special teams value gives him an important advantage.

That leaves Johnson fighting for a role without currently separating himself as a runner or trusted special teams contributor. For a player near the bottom of the depth chart, failing to provide value in either area can quickly become fatal. It remains possible that Johnson responds during the final preseason games and reminds Pittsburgh why it invested a third-round pick in him. His college production did not disappear, and he is still young enough to recover.

However, his limited opening performance and DeFabo's revelation may explain why Johnson has become an unexpected cut candidate. Steelers fans spent the opener wondering where he was. The answer may be that Pittsburgh still cannot trust him when the football is not simply being handed to him.

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