With Najee Harris signing elsewhere in free agency, it finally looked like Jaylen Warren’s time to be the lead back of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Injuries hampered him in 2024, but he split reps pretty evenly with Harris when healthy in 2023, and he has always been the more efficient back. But with the Steelers drafting Iowa RB Kaleb Johnson in the third round, how will the snaps be divvied up?
“Warren will begin as the No. 1 back, but he won’t be a workhorse, just as we saw Najee Harris’ workload diminish each year,” Gerry Dulac wrote this morning in his Steelers chat via Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “They didn’t draft Johnson to, in the words of Tom Donahoe, lead the band at halftime. And Warren is an UFA next year so that means he will be gone after 2025.”
The Steelers have team control of Johnson through the 2028 season on a cheap rookie contract. Unless Warren is able to replicate his efficiency over a much higher sample size and have a breakout season, it is tough to see him staying on the roster beyond this year.
He is playing on a second-round restricted free agent tender this season worth nearly $5.35 million. His next contract will depend on how productive he is in 2025. I wouldn’t completely write off the possibility of his return next season and beyond, especially if he shares time in the backfield to keep his earning potential lower.
Dulac was asked what chance there is for Johnson to take over as the lead back sometime in the middle of the season.
“Very good chance,” Dulac said.
The Steelers were very clearly pleased with their selection of Johnson. Arthur Smith gushed over what he can bring to the offense, repeatedly using the word “explosive” and raving about him being the perfect fit. The reality is that the Steelers didn’t have an ideal back to execute Arthur Smith’s outside zone run scheme last season. That happens to be Johnson’s forte, and something he did a ton of at Iowa.
He also has more experience than most rookie running backs in running against stacked boxes as Iowa’s offense relied heavily on the running game.
One of the biggest concerns with Johnson is his long speed after running a 4.57-second 40-yard dash at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. Mike Tomlin dismissed those concerns and said his speed is not in question when watching his tape.
It will be interesting to see how the division of labor shakes out in the backfield. Warren deserves a healthy volume of snaps, and the Steelers will want to get Kenneth Gainwell involved in certain situations, too. How quickly Johnson becomes the feature back will depend on his ability to prove himself on third down as a pass catcher and a pass blocker.
