The Pittsburgh Steelers could soon move on from their 2025 NFL Draft third-round pick, just one season after making the selection. Running back Kaleb Johnson, who was impressive during his final two years of collegiate football with the Iowa Hawkeyes, has been extremely underwhelming since arriving in the Steel City. Johnson might be on the chopping block, and another team in the AFC North might be interested in the running back.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson (20) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
The current rumor is that the Steelers' rival Cincinnati Bengals are fond of Johnson as he very well might be on his way out of Pittsburgh. It is being speculated that the Bengals are waiting to see if Johnson will be cut from the Steelers' roster ahead of the Sunday night 53-man roster deadline. If he is not released, Cincinnati could possibly offer the Steelers a trade to grab the running back ahead of the beginning of the NFL regular season, which is just under two weeks away.
In a recent post on X from 93.7 The Fan's Andrew Fillipponi, he wrote that the Bengals are "eyeing" Johnson. It's fair to note that the radio host is known for a lot of engagement-type posts.
"Rumor: The Bengals are eyeing Steelers RB Kaleb Johnson. If he’s cut. And could possibly try trading for the 3rd round bust RB.Cincinnati has very little depth behind Chase Brown. And really liked Johnson in the 2025 NFL Draft. He went to Cincy for a draft visit," Fillipponi wrote.
As previously stated, this is just a rumor, but there could be some weight to it as Johnson has achieved very little since arriving in Pittsburgh. Johnson saw just 28 carries and two targets during the entirety of his 2025 rookie season. This amounted to a measly 68 on the ground and just nine receiving. It was extremely underwhelming year for Johnson as the Steelers expected more from the running back to invest a Day 2 draft pick in him.
The biggest headline surrounding Johnson during the 2025 NFL season was not a positive one. During Pittsburgh's Week 3 contest against the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, Johnson made a critical error on a kickoff return early in the fourth quarter that gifted the Seahawks the easiest touchdown they would score all season.
The Steelers were only down by three points before this blunder, and this play very well could be the main reason Pittsburgh was ultimately defeated 31-17 in the game.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pittsburgh Steelers running backs Kaleb Johnson (20) and Lew Nichols (35) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Johnson did not have a lot of opportunity to showcase his skill set after the kick return mistake. Pittsburgh's backfield was led by Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, who both put together very solid seasons, respectively. Johnson was the odd man out, and did not do enough to earn more chances during 2026 training camp or likely the regular season.
Johnson put together a very impressive final season at Iowa, totaling 1,537 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns on 240 carries, which was good for 5.5 yards per carry. This earned him First-Team All-Big Ten Honors as well as the Big Ten Running Back of the Year nod. These numbers were outstanding, and the draft process ultimately landed him with the Steelers. This begs the big question: should the Steelers give up on Johnson after one lackluster rookie season?
Steelers Could Trade Within The AFC North
In recent years, Pittsburgh has not been scared to take chances on trades or free-agent signings late in the preseason. The team has also warmed up to the idea of dealing within the division. Most notably was the March 2020 deal done with the Baltimore Ravens in which the Steelers received defensive lineman Chris Wormley and a 2021 seventh-round draft pick in exchange for a 2021 fifth-round draft pick.
On the flip side, there have been no notable trades made within the division since the promotion of general manager Omar Khan in 2022. This leaves the Johnson situation in murky waters due to the mannerisms of the team since the appointing of Khan, and the questions surrounding the level of confidence that Pittsburgh has in his potential. He still could be cut, which would make him fair game for the Bengals.
Again, these are all rumors, which the NFL is full of around this time in the preseason. It will be interesting to see what direction the organization wants to go in regarding Johnson.
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