Steelers Rookie Makes Jaw-Dropping Mistake During Kick Return

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Kaleb Johnson made a crucial special teams mistake near the beginning of the fourth quarter in the team's Week 2 game against the Seattle Seahawks.

After Seattle made a field goal to go up 17-14, Jason Myers kicked the ball back to Pittsburgh. Johnson was waiting as the return man, but a funky hop led the ball to bounce over his head outside of the end zone.

It didn't appear as though Johnson was aware of the new kickoff rules, however, as he failed to field a ball that fell in the landing zone and followed that up by not going back to the end zone and downing it.

Instead, the Seahawks made the most of the opportunity and recovered the ball for a huge touchdown that put them up 24-14 at the time.

Oh no. #Steelers rookie RB Kaleb Johnson appeared unaware of the new kickoff rules — and the #Seahawks took full advantage.

Result: an absolute gift of a TD.pic.twitter.com/fePBAHKjnf
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 14, 2025

Johnson walked back to the Steelers' sideline with some confusion as to what occurred, and it's a mistake that could potentially cost him some playing time moving forward.

The 22-year-old served as Pittsburgh's primary kick returner in the team's Week 1 victory over the New York Jets, racking up 132 yards on five attempts. He also returned three kicks for 58 yards vs. Seattle prior to his gaffe.

During the preseason, Johnson took back a total of six kicks for 147 yards. If he were to now be demoted, however, fellow running back Kenneth Gainwell would likely take over as the primary kick returner.

Sep 7, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson (20) breaks a tackle by New York Jets cornerback Brandon Stephens (21) during the third quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

A third-round pick out of Iowa in the 2025 NFL Draft, Johnson hasn't played much of a role on the offensive side of the ball throughout his first two regular season games. He had one carry for -2 yards vs. the Jets on just two snaps while rushing once for a single yard against the Seahawks.

He was expected to play a bigger part in Pittsburgh's offense right off the bat, but Jaylen Warren has instead received a majority of the carries while Kenneth Gainwell has gotten his fair share of work on the ground as well.

As a result, Johnson's only way to make a true impact thus far has been as a returner, and his consequential mistake may mean that he'll largely remain sidelined in every facet of the game for the time being.

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