Kaleb Johnson isn’t having the start to his Pittsburgh Steelers’ career he envisioned. Even before his kickoff flub against the Seattle Seahawks, a play that will sit on lowlight reels for the next decade, he was already struggling. His problems seem likely to usher him to the bench this weekend as inactive, creating an opportunity for practice squad RB Trey Sermon to benefit the most.
A lack of well-roundedness in Johnson’s game made him hard to trust out of the backfield. Whatever skills he brought as a runner were mitigated by questions in the pass game. There isn’t enough trust in him as a blocker and receiver, especially for a 41-year-old perfectionist quarterback like Aaron Rodgers.
Relegated to kickoff duty, Johnson fumbled in Week One, flubbed Week two, and had just four offensive snaps through two games. If Johnson isn’t going to dress, the Steelers need a No. 3 back. That’s Trey Sermon.
Sermon is a do-everything back. Run the ball? He’s a veteran who’s done it. Specifically, against the Steelers, rushing for 88-yards in a 2023 win over Pittsburgh while a member of the Indianapolis Colts. A reminder of the runs he ripped off through an overwhelmed Pittsburgh front that day.
Sermon can block. He can catch. He can play special teams on multiple units.
We highlighted Sermon at the end of the preseason. He had a strong summer and made a legitimate case to be kept as a No. 4 back even before Johnson’s career went off the tracks. It showed all the hats he could wear in pass protection, a receiver, and on special teams. In the preseason opener, he caught a screen for a touchdown and proceeded to run down the ensuing kickoff and make the tackle. That’s his game. A little bit of everything.
Out of the gate, Sermon can replace Johnson on kick returns. He handled those duties in training camp. It’s not exciting but a very Steelers-thing to do. Put the trusted burly running back for kicks who can get in the way as a blocker if the ball lands in Kenneth Gainwell’s arms.
Sermon can play on multiple units beyond kick returns. He can work on the punt coverage team, potentially replacing Payton Wilson on that unit. As Dave Bryan and I discussed on Wednesday’s podcast, Sermon worked as left wing on the punt team in the preseason. Wilson? He’s currently the left wing. For a guy struggling and vomiting on the field, reducing his snap count in any area is wise.
Sermon is hardly the first example of this. Last year, RB Jonathan Ward had an in-season call-up. That was more related due to injuries and Ward isn’t the exact same style of back but he brought the same versatile game. Blocking, kick return, and coverage. Sermon is cut from the same cloth. Right down to how they made the roster, rookie minicamp tryouts (the team brings in a handful of vets each spring) who impressed and signed to the 90-man offseason roster.
Assuming Johnson is sent to the bench in street clothes, he’ll eventually receive a redemption chance. After the Week Five bye makes sense. That gives Sermon two games to make his mark. NFL rules allow for up to three practice squad elevations before a player must be signed to the 53-man roster. The math makes sense for Sermon to fill-in and do what Johnson hasn’t been able to in the early days of his career.
