Kaleb Johnson didn’t have a great showing in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first preseason game. While not all of that was his fault, he acknowledged that he played too timid. That problem didn’t plague him Saturday night at Acrisure Stadium. Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Johnson recorded 11 carries for 50 yards along with one catch for nine yards. It was a much better showing for Johnson, who is happier getting more work put on his plate.
“I’m a very high-volume carry runner, and I feel like that applies to me when I was at Iowa also,” Johnson said Saturday via the team’s website. “I’m just trying to get back to the basics of me just being in shape and really just finishing that off.”
Johnson isn’t the fastest running back. In fact, his long speed was one of the biggest question marks about him coming out of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, once he gets going, he’s tough to bring down. In college, Johnson was like a battering ram. He bulldozed through opponents throughout games, wearing them down along the way.
That fits with the brand of football that the Steelers want to play. Arthur Smith’s offense leans heavily on the running game, and Johnson is a good scheme fit for that. He’s garnered comparisons to Derrick Henry in the past. He might not live up to that billing, but he’s got similar traits.
Johson displayed that against the Bucs. The third-round pick began the Steelers’ second touchdown drive with three straight carries, picking up 18 yards to put the Steelers near the end zone. Johnson had a few nice runs throughout the game.
It’s not clear how big Johnson’s workload is going to be to start the season. Jaylen Warren is listed as the Steelers’ starting running back, and it seems like they’ll give significant touches to him, Johnson, and Kenneth Gainwell.
While that might not help Johnson increase his volume, if he continues to get better, the Steelers will likely feel more comfortable giving him more work. There’s more to being a running back than just carrying the ball, after all. Johnson still needs to hone his skills in pass protection. For now, it looks like he’s on an upward trajectory, and hopefully, he can continue carrying that momentum forward.
