RB Kaleb Johnson Gets Do-Over With Steelers New Coaching Staff

Steelers News

Mike McCarthy is drawing a clear line between what happened to running back Kaleb Johnson in 2025 and what he expects from him in 2026. Speaking to reporters at the NFL Owners Meetings in Phoenix, McCarthy made his position on Johnson’s second season straightforward.

“I am aware of their past experiences, but this is like a Catholic operation, you say three Hail Marys and everybody has a clean slate and let’s get to work,” McCarthy said, per PennLive’s Nick Farabaugh.

McCarthy did not stop at absolution. He also outlined a specific challenge for the second-year back.

“I understood what happened with him on special teams, but he’s a young man,” McCarthy said. “Look at his draft value. I’m going to challenge him to be a three-down player and a special teamer. All of that is part of being a young running back.”

Johnson’s 2025 season went sideways early. In Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, he failed to down a kickoff that bounced near the end zone, allowing Seattle to recover the ball in the end zone for a touchdown. The Steelers lost that game, and Johnson was removed from special teams duties for the rest of the year. He finished the season with 28 carries for 69 rushing yards and one reception for nine yards across 10 games, 29 total touches, and 78 scrimmage yards in his first NFL year.

The Steelers selected Johnson out of Iowa in the third round of the 2025 draft with the 83rd overall pick. At Iowa, he rushed for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns in his final college season, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors and Big Ten Running Back of the Year recognition. The expectation entering his professional career was that his size, vision, and short-area power would translate quickly. That did not happen in Year 1.

His path to playing time in 2026 runs directly through two established backs. Jaylen Warren is returning as the team’s primary ball-carrier after re-signing with Pittsburgh. The Steelers also added Rico Dowdle in free agency on a two-year deal. Dowdle is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, including 1,076 rushing yards and six touchdowns with the Carolina Panthers in 2025.

That leaves Johnson squarely at No. 3 on the depth chart, the same position he held entering his first season behind Warren and Kenneth Gainwell. Gainwell has since departed, but Dowdle fills a similar complementary role, making offensive snaps for Johnson dependent on either injury or a strong enough training camp to earn a rotation spot.

McCarthy’s comments suggest that Johnson will at least receive an honest evaluation from the new staff. Whether that translates into a meaningful role during the regular season is a separate question — one the Steelers will not need to answer until training camp in July.