He was benched after a special teams gaffe Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, and now Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Kaleb Johnson won’t have a part in kickoff returns moving forward, at least in the short term.
That’s how head coach Mike Tomlin described it Tuesday to reporters.
Johnson failed to catch a kickoff after the Seahawks took a 17-14 lead in the third quarter, leaving a live ball lying in the end zone. It led to a George Holani recovery and a 24-14 lead. On the ensuing kickoff Jaylen Warren replaced Johnson, who also fumbled on a kickoff return in Week 1.
“Probably not in the short term,” Tomlin said when asked if Johnson will continue returning kicks, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “I’m certainly gonna give him an opportunity to work his way back from that error. I believe in his talent. He’s a sharp young man, he’s a hard worker, and so you leave the light on for him. You give him an opportunity to move on from it, but he has to do that.
“He has to display that with his daily work, and he’s gotta earn himself back in the position to be a participant. And so we’ll see where the roads lead us. I’m open to it, certainly.”
Throughout training camp and the preseason, Johnson never looked all that comfortable returning kickoffs. He hadn’t done it since 2022 at Iowa, so it was a big ask of him, especially adjusting to the new dynamic kickoff in the NFL. He looked slow and hesitant at times returning kicks and really didn’t make an impact.
Then, he botched the play against the Seahawks, ultimately costing the Steelers the game. Teammates remain in his corner and are trying to keep his spirits up, but the Steelers really have no choice but to remove him from the role, at least for the time being.
Who that replacement will be, whether it’s Warren again or someone else — maybe Jabrill Peppers? — remains to be seen. But for now, the Steelers won’t be utilizing Johnson in a role he wasn’t exactly a good fit in.
That will leave the rookie in a tough spot. No special teams work and very little offensive work. He’ll get a helmet but might not contribute much. That’s where the Steelers have him at the moment, and where his play has led him, at least from a special teams perspective.
