Johnson managed just 69 yards on 28 carries plus one catch as a rookie in 2025, and he should not be drafted in anything other than deep leagues. He will battle for snaps behind Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle. Until Johnson earns more playing time, Fantasy managers do not need to roster him outside of dynasty leagues.
Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Tallies 54 yards in preseason loss
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Johnson turned 10 carries into 39 yards and caught both of his targets for 15 yards during the Steelers' 17-0 preseason loss to the Jets on Friday.
Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle served as the Steelers' one-two punch out of the backfield in the first quarter, with Johnson getting his first touch in the second frame. Johnson ended up playing 24 snaps on offense and led all Steelers running backs in touches and yards. The 2025 third-rounder is currently slated as the RB3 behind Warren and Dowdle on the depth chart, but Johnson's spot on the Steelers' 53-man roster for the regular season is far from guaranteed. Pittsburgh wraps up its preseason Thursday against Buffalo.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: In danger of being cut
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The Athletic's Mike DeFabo believes Johnson is in real danger of being cut by the Steelers prior to the start of the regular season.
"Cutting a third-round pick one year after he's drafted would be a tough look for the Steelers, but it sure seems to be trending that direction based on the way the carries have been split in practices and in the first preseason game," DeFabo wrote Wednesday. While Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle rested, Johnson played behind both Travis Homer and Lew Nichols in the preseason opener last week and didn't see his first carry until the third quarter. He's buried on the depth chart and continues to make mistakes on special teams, as Johnson was seen getting chewed out on the sideline by special teams coordinator Danny Crossman against Green Bay last Thursday. Considering Johnson doesn't excel on special teams, and Homer does as the person protector on the punt team, the 2025 third-rounder Johnson may be on the outs with the new coaching staff. It might be best for Johnson to get a fresh start elsewhere after playing just 51 offensive snaps across 10 regular-season appearances as a rookie last season.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Set to work behind top RB duo
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As the coming season approaches, Johnson is set to compete for depth slotting in a Pittsburgh backfield led by Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle, Brian Batko of the Steelers' official site reports.
Johnson, whom the Steelers took in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, recorded just 28 carries for 69 yards and one catch for nine yards over 10 regular-season games as a rookie. With Warren and Dowdle clearly atop the team's RB depth chart in 2026, Johnson doesn't have a clear path to steady carries in his second year as a pro. Also in the backfield mix are Travis Homer, Lew Nichols and rookie seventh-rounder Eli Heidenreich, but in any case Johnson will be off the fantasy lineup radar as long as Warren and Dowdle are available.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Disappointing workload as rookie
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Johnson recorded 28 carries for 69 yards while securing one of two targets for nine yards over 10 appearances during the 2025 regular season.
Although Johnson was a third-round pick by the Steelers in the 2025 NFL Draft, playing time was hard to come by during his rookie year, as he played double-digit offensive snaps in just one game. He was also a healthy scratch for the final three weeks of the regular season. Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell served as the Steelers' clear top running backs throughout the year. Johnson could have a chance to compete for more work in 2026 if Gainwell -- who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent during the offseason -- heads elsewhere. Even if Gainwell plays for another team next year, Johnson could face an uphill battle for playing time as long as Warren remains in Pittsburgh.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Remains inactive in Week 18
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Johnson (coach's decision) is inactive for Sunday night's contest against the Ravens.
Johnson will be a healthy scratch for the third straight week to end the regular season. The Steelers will operate with Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell as their two options in the backfield versus Baltimore.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Sitting out Week 16
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Johnson (coach's decision) is a healthy scratch for Sunday's clash against the Lions.
Johnson has been getting very little work on offense with just eight snaps over his past three games. He'll be entirely out of the picture Sunday, representing his fifth missed contest this season. Pittsburgh has just two running backs -- Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell -- active against Detroit.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Sees limited involvement once again
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Johnson gained four yards on two carries during Monday's 28-15 win over the Dolphins.
Although Jaylen Warren was questionable for Monday's matchup due to an illness, he was able to suit up, and Johnson saw a minimal workload once again. He was on the field for just two offensive snaps and was limited to two carries for a third consecutive week. Kenneth Gainwell has been the primary beneficiary when Warren has been limited this year, and that's unlikely to change over the final few weeks of the regular season.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Another minimal workload in Week 14
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Johnson rushed twice for four yards during Sunday's 27-22 win over the Ravens.
The Steelers' running game failed to make much of an impact in Week 14, as Kenneth Gainwell led the team with four carries for 15 yards and a touchdown, while Jaylen Warren produced an inefficient 13 yards on eight carries. However, those two backs saw a nearly even split of playing time, with Warren playing 50 percent of the offensive snaps and Gainwell playing 48 percent. Johnson was once again the clear No. 3 back, as he was on the field for just three offensive snaps against Baltimore. The rookie has been limited to single-digit snaps in each of his last five appearances, and he's rushed 12 times for 29 yards while securing his lone target for nine yards during that time.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Two carries in Week 13
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Johnson rushed twice for three yards during Sunday's 26-7 loss to Buffalo.
Johnson didn't take the field during last week's loss to Chicago, and he played just three offensive snaps during Sunday's Week 13 matchup. The Steelers have continued to deploy Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell as their top two running backs, and Johnson is unlikely to have a fantasy-relevant role late in the year as long as those two remain healthy. Johnson has appeared in just eight games this season, rushing 24 times for 61 yards while securing one of two targets for nine yards.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Plays eight snaps in Week 11
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Johnson rushed five times for 15 yards during Sunday's 34-12 win over the Bengals.
Despite Sunday's lopsided score, the Steelers sustained several prominent injuries, including a wrist injury for Aaron Rodgers and an ankle injury that Jaylen Warren sustained in the third quarter. The latter's health concern led to a slightly increased role for Johnson, although Kenneth Gainwell saw the biggest uptick in usage. However, Warren said after the matchup that he could have returned to the game, so it seems likely that he'll be available for Pittsburgh's Week 12 tilt in Chicago. Assuming Warren and Gainwell remain available against the Bears, Johnson should continue to have minimal fantasy upside.
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Steelers' Kaleb Johnson: Minimal production in Week 10
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Johnson rushed twice for three yards during Sunday's 25-10 loss to the Chargers.
Johnson was on the field for just four offensive snaps Sunday, and he didn't generate much production during the blowout loss. The rookie third-round pick has totaled just nine offensive snaps over the last four weeks, and he's been a non-factor in fantasy over the first half of the season, rushing 17 times for 43 yards while securing one of two targets for nine yards over six appearances.
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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: 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.
