Pittsburgh Steelers rookie RB Kaleb Johnson wasn’t known for his pass catching prowess coming out of the University of Iowa as the third round pick was seldom used in the Hawkeyes passing game. That was no knock on Johnson’s ability, as I demonstrated in a previous film room analysis that Johnson possesses the skill set and tape to suggest he can be a capable pass catcher at the next level. Still, with just 29 receptions for 240 yards and two touchdowns in his college career (22 receptions for 188 yards last season), Johnson has a lot of room to grow to become more of a well-rounded back.
Luckily for Kaleb Johnson, he will have the opportunity to play with QB Aaron Rodgers in his first season in the league, which should help expedite his development as a pass catcher. Rodgers has a history of targeting the running back position in the passing game during his illustrious career, with great success. This approach has seen numerous running backs beat opposing defenses both on the ground and through the air with Rodgers at the helm of the offense.
Probably the most memorable receiving back of Rodgers’ career is current Vikings RB Aaron Jones, who played with Rodgers from his rookie season in 2017 to 2022. Coming out of college, Jones proved that he was a capable pass catcher, securing 71 receptions for 646 yards and seven touchdowns across four seasons. However, he took his receiving game to another level with the Packers, having 272 receptions for 2076 yards and 18 touchdowns while being utilized as a receiver down the field and in the intermediate quadrants of the field while also being used as a reliable check-down option underneath.
If you want a more recent example of Rodgers helping support a running back’s success in the passing game, look at how he supported Breece Hall with the New York Jets last season. Hall proved that he was a capable receiver coming out of Iowa State, and also saw success in the passing game in his second season in the league. He maintained that explosive playmaking ability as a pass catcher with Rodgers last season, catching 57 passes on 76 targets for 483 yards and three touchdowns. Hall finished the season as New York’s third-most targeted weapon in the passing game (behind only Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams) and was utilized all over the field in the passing game, including split out wide as a downfield threat.
Now, this doesn’t mean that we should expect Kaleb Johnson to get the same usage that Hall and Jones have received, as OC Arthur Smith has a big say in the offensive scheme. Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell should expect to work as pass-catching backs on obvious passing downs. However, seeing as Rodgers has even supported more early-down runners to larger target shares over the years, this should be an encouraging sign that Kaleb Johnson will get some work in that area as a rookie, even if Warren and Gainwell are heavily in the mix.
For instance, AJ Dillon played three seasons with Rodgers from 2020-2022 and saw respectable usage as a pass catcher in his last two seasons with Rodgers at quarterback, seeing a total of 80 targets with 62 receptions for 519 yards and two scores in that span for a 6-0, 247-pound plodder. The same was the case for Eddie Lacy, who played with Rodgers from 2013-2016. He saw success as a pass catcher early in his career with Rodgers, highlighted by the 2014 season, when he caught 42 passes on 55 targets for 427 yards and four scores as a near-250-pound tailback.
Kaleb Johnson has just as capable a skill set (if not more so) as a pass catcher as Dillon or Lacy. Given the fact that he’s in a good position to take over as this team’s lead back in 2025, he will be presented plenty of opportunities to be the next running back Rodgers feeds the ball to in the passing game if he earns his quarterback’s trust.
