Aaron Rodgers is undoubtedly the biggest storyline of the season for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense, but we are talking about an offense that ran the ball nearly 50 percent of the time last year. The other half of the equation is the run game, and they made a big addition in that area, too. The Steelers expect big things from rookie RB Kaleb Johnson.
“When I talked to somebody with the Steelers last night about Rodgers, first guy they mentioned was Kaleb Johnson,” Fowler said via ESPN’s NFL Live. “They believe he’s gonna make an instant impact.”
Mike Tomlin’s overall philosophy has been to control the ball and limit mistakes on offense. That includes a run-centric approach, which is one of the big reasons he hired Arthur Smith last offseason.
Najee Harris was dependable, but wholly unspectacular as the Steelers’ lead back last season, and his limitations slightly altered Smith’s preferred run scheme. Johnson excels running in outside zone schemes, which should enable Smith to get back to his bread and butter.
The fact that a source within the team pointed to a running back when asked about Rodgers also speaks to some of their intentions on offense. They are not aiming for Rodgers to throw the second-most pass attempts in football like he did last year. Balance will be key to protecting the 41-year-old quarterback and taking some of the burden to carry the team off his shoulders. That strategy didn’t go well for the 5-12 New York Jets.
By all accounts, Johnson was one of the most impressive rookies throughout rookie minicamp and voluntary OTAs. He will form a committee with Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, but he should have an opportunity to take over Harris’ feature role sooner rather than later in the 2025 season.
With 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns in his final season at Iowa, Johnson proved that he can run against stacked boxes and translate his game to the next level. He shouldn’t have to face as many stacked boxes with Rodgers in the mix. That balance should help both of them thrive.
