Kaleb Johnson has gotten a lot of buzz throughout the offseason, and with a stronger performance in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ second preseason game, there’s some hope that the rookie running back will be a key contributor in 2025. While Johnson had 11 carries for 50 yards on Saturday, he was buoyed by a 14-yard run in the first half, and ESPN’s Brooke Pryor still sees “room to grow” for Johnson to become the back the Steelers want him to be.
“With starting RB Jaylen Warren sitting out for the second week in a row, rookie Kaleb Johnson saw plenty of action. Not counting his second-quarter 14-yard run, Johnson averaged just 0.5 yards per carry on four rushes. He had a better showing in the second half with a pair of 9-yard runs, but the second preseason game suggested the third-round pick still has room to grow,” Pryor wrote as her takeaway from the Steelers’ 17-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It a take that Johnson himself agrees with, but it was good to see some growth from the preseason opener to last night. If he can show a little more improvement Thursday in Pittsburgh’s preseason finale, then the Steelers should be excited about Johnson. He’s not a finished product — far from it, really — and he should be growing week to week. The more the Iowa product plays, the more comfortable he’ll be, and the more we’ll see him look like a starting-caliber running back.
The flashes he’s shown have been impressive, and OT Troy Fautanu in particular has been impressed with Johnson. We also haven’t seen Johnson operating in the way he will during the season. With Jaylen Warren out for the first two preseason games, defenses haven’t had the fourth-year veteran to worry about, and the Steelers also haven’t played starting LG Isaac Seumalo in either of their two preseason games.
While the preseason is a useful evaluation tool, it doesn’t tell us the whole story. Johnson could wind up looking better early in the regular season just by nature of not being a lead back this year (although he feels he’s better with a high volume of carries).
It is promising that Johnson produced 4.5 yards per carry, and there are still areas where he can improve and wants to improve. While his 14-yard run may have skewed his first-half numbers, all in all, it was a pretty decent performance, and it should provide a measure of excitement for what Johnson can do for the Steelers this season.
