Steelers' Kaleb Johnson Has Huge Opportunity in OTAs

A standout during Week 1 of OTAs, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson can't afford to let his newfound momentum go by the wayside.

Johnson logged first-team reps last week, which is a notable development despite the fact that both Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle were absent from OTAs for the Steelers.

After a rough rookie year, the former third-round pick needs a strong showing over the next few months to secure a roster spot, and he has yet another good opportunity to display his skill set this week.

Nov 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson (20) stiff arms Cincinnati Bengals safety Geno Stone (22) during the second half at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Johnson's Outlook in Pittsburgh

There was, understandably, a fair amount of excitement surrounding Johnson after the Steelers took him with the No. 83 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. After all, he earned All-American honors with 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns at Iowa as a junior in 2024.

The initial expectation was that he'd garner a healthy amount of touches behind Warren in the backfield last season, but Johnson didn't do himself any favors with a poor preseason performance (24 carries for 94 yards).

His special teams mistake in Week 2, which saw him let a kickoff bounce over his head in the landing zone and into the end zone, where the Seattle Seahawks picked it up for a touchdown during a close game in the fourth quarter, left a huge stain on his rookie campaign and led to him being stripped of his duties as a return man.

Johnson didn't capitalize on the limited looks he got on offense either, posting 78 yards on 29 touches, and Kenneth Gainwell's emergence hurt the former's case for playing time as well.

Though Warren and Dowdle are going to receive a vast majority of the snaps this year, perhaps there's an avenue for Johnson to force himself into the mix with a new coaching staff and offense in place.

He's not the most athletically-gifted running back in the world, but Johnson still has breakaway speed when he gets going while also possessing fantastic power and vision.

Pittsburgh's hope has to be that those traits shine through while he develops into more of a complete player in his sophomore season, and that all starts with continuing to attract positive attention during Week 2 of OTAs.

If Johnson can exhibit some quickness and prove that he's made strides in the passing game, whether that's against blitzes or as a receiving option, he'll set a nice foundation moving forward this offseason that could eventually help him lock up a 53-man spot.

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