Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Limited to two touches in win
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Johnson rushed once for four yards while securing his lone target for nine yards during Sunday's 27-20 win over Indianapolis.
Johnson didn't see any playing time in the Steelers' last two games, but he was on the field for five offensive snaps against the Colts. While it was encouraging to see him record a couple of touches, he remains firmly behind Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell on the depth chart.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Doesn't play in Week 8 loss
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Johnson didn't take the field in Sunday's 35-25 loss to the Packers.
Johnson's lack of usage continued during Sunday's primetime matchup, as he was held off the field for a second consecutive matchup. The rookie entered the season with intriguing potential, but Jaylen Warren has continued to operate as Pittsburgh's primary running back in 2025, while Kenneth Gainwell has consistently served as the No. 2 option. Johnson has appeared in just four games, rushing 14 times for 36 yards while failing to secure his lone target.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Doesn't see field in primetime
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Johnson was active but wasn't on the field for any snaps during Thursday's 33-31 loss to the Bengals.
Johnson recorded six carries in each of the Steelers' last two games, but he was held off the field Thursday night despite being active. Jaylen Warren was dominant in Thursday's loss, racking up 158 yards from scrimmage, while Kenneth Gainwell was on the field for 39 percent of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps, so work likely will continue to be hard to come by for Johnson as long as the team's top two running backs are healthy.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Records another six carries in win
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Johnson rushed six times for 15 yards during Sunday's 23-9 win over the Browns.
Johnson saw six carries during the Steelers' Week 4 win over the Vikings, and he saw a similar workload following Pittsburgh's Week 5 bye. Jaylen Warren continues to serve as the team's clear lead back, but Johnson has seen slightly more opportunities over the past two games. The 22-year-old's 11 offensive snaps still lagged behind Warren (31) and Kenneth Gainwell (20), and Johnson's fantasy value will likely remain limited as long as those two remain healthy.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Minimal involvement in debut
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Johnson rushed the ball once for minus-2 yards in Sunday's 34-32 win over the Jets. He also returned five kickoffs for 132 yards.
Johnson clearly served as Pittsburgh's third running back, with his only rushing attempt coming late in the third quarter. His primary contribution came as a kick returner, though he narrowly escaped disaster when a teammate recovered his fumble on a return late in the first quarter. Johnson had an uneven training camp due to his work as a pass blocker and receiver, so he'll likely continue to be brought along slowly behind Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Little production in pro debut
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Johnson rushed the ball eight times for 20 yards in Saturday's 31-25 preseason win over the Jaguars. He recorded one reception on two targets for six yards.
Jaylen Warren was rested for the game, giving Johnson the chance to work as Pittsburgh's lead back early into the third quarter. Johnson found running room hard to come by -- his longest gain on the ground went for seven yards -- but he was able to pick up tough yardage on a few occasions. His work both in pass protection and as a pass catcher remains in question, but it was a decent pro debut for Johnson.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Getting some first-team reps
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Johnson was the second running back in with the first-team offense at Thursday's practice, after Jaylen Warren, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
It's just one practice, but nonetheless a good sign that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is preparing Johnson to replace Najee Harris. The Steelers don't have Cordarrelle Patterson (undisclosed) available at the start of training camp, leaving free-agent signings Kenneth Gainwell and Trey Sermon as the veterans for competing for backup roles. The Steelers hope Johnson will end up pushing Warren for more first-team snaps, rather than struggling during camp and worrying about Gainwell/Patterson/Sermon nipping at his heels.
