The Pittsburgh Steelers allowed RB Najee Harris to leave in free agency, signing Kenneth Gainwell instead. As it turns out, Harris’ contract is worth three to five times more, but don’t judge their value on money. There are those who believe Gainwell will have a bigger impact for the Steelers than one might think.
In relaying the details of the contract Gainwell signed with the Steelers, Mike DeFabo of The Athletic shared an anecdote. “Had someone in the Steelers’ organization tell me that Gainwell is going to be this year’s DeShon Elliott in terms of an under-the-radar addition who does big things”, he wrote on X. “We’ll see”.
There are some differences, of course. Kenneth Gainwell signed a one-year, $1,790,000 contract with the Steelers. He is coming in to serve in a platoon in the backfield with Jaylen Warren, who is making $5,346,000 assuming he signs his second-round tender. A year ago, they signed S DeShon Elliott on a two-year, $6 million contract, but to be a starter.
Both deals are relatively cheap. Certainly, $3 million for a starting defensive back of any quality is good value. But Elliott quickly became a favorite of Steelers fans for his play, so if Gainwell can do that, great. Of course, this could all just be hyperbole.
Gainwell is a decent player, and he should fill a niche for the Steelers, but there are some legitimate concerns. One thing that alarms me is his 24-percent successful run rate in 2024, which is nothing short of horrible. Now, was some of that late in the fourth quarter when the Eagles were running out the clock? Perhaps, yes, but that is not the kind of number you want to see.
Gainwell only played significant snaps during one college season at Memphis, where he was teammates with Steelers WR Calvin Austin III. In 2019, he rushed for 1,459 yards, averaging 6.3 yards on 231 carries. He has some explosive potential, but it hasn’t fully translated to the NFL. And if he couldn’t make that work playing with Saquon Barkley and the best offensive line in the league, he’s not going to start cranking out long runs in Pittsburgh.
And all that being said, DeShon Elliott is a decently high bar to live up to. For just $3 million, the Steelers got 108 tackles, four for loss, an interception, two forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries out of him in 2024. What would the Steelers have to get from Kenneth Gainwell to justify the comparison?
Of course, it doesn’t need to be taken nearly that literally. The broadest angle of the point is simply this: Gainwell is an underrated signing who will have a bigger impact and role than his profile and contract might imply. Considering he is basically the 1B to Jaylen Warren’s 1A right now, perhaps that’s not such a stretch. But at this point in his career, he really needs to maximize his opportunities to a greater degree.
