Steelers Get Hopeful News on Kenneth Gainwell Contract

PITTSBURGH -- In a year where the offensive talent for the Pittsburgh Steelers were overall disappointing, there was the occasional bright spots.

The team named their own Team MVP to be free agent addition running back Kenneth Gainwell, who joined the Steelers after a couple seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Gainwell was the team leader in receptions and finished behind just top wideout DK Metcalf in total receiving yards. Now, Gainwell hits the free agent market in just a couple of weeks, with the team only having signed him to a one-year deal for the 2025 season.

With that in mind, it is still quite unclear what the market value or projection is for Gainwell for the future.

Contract website Spotrac projects that Gainwell will earn nearly $3 million a season with his next team. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac believes that the market for Gainwell will not be particularly strong, with the cost not being high for him.

"I don't think the market cost for Gainwell will be that high," he wrote.

It is possible that questions about whether it was personal talent or a beneficial scheme have led to questions about Gainwell and whether or not the previous year's breakout season will be a fluke or not. With the cap expanding for all teams, they could be more open to gambling on a lower-floor free agent, but it seems the market will be quite cool for Gainwell when the legal tampering period opens in early March.

This could be a blessing in disguise for the Steelers. An oft risk-averse team, the Steelers would be unlikely to be involved in a fight for Gainwell's services if the running back's market was hot or raised above anything reasonable. If the market on him is not as expensive as expecvted the Steelers could retain their team MVP.

Gainwell's Intangible Value

Gainwell was able to gain space better than nearly any other offensive player for the Steelers this past season, and was also responsible for one of the greatest catches in franchise history towards the end of the season. While adding Gainwell would not get close to fixing their receiver depth entirely, it could certainly help to have a decent receiving option in the back field.

Dec 21, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) celebrates after a touchdown during the third quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

With Jaylen Warren under contract, there is less of a worry from a pure running back sense, but if Gainwell were to return, the Steelers would have a pretty solid tande to run the football for the coming season. That would certainly be helpful due to the fact that they currently are unsure of who will be leading the team at quarterback.

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