Player: RB Kaleb Johnson
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: Once deemed the future of the franchise, Kaleb Johnson is looking very much like a rookie in over his head. The Steelers are giving him little work on offense, and his reps as kick returner have not produced confidence. Yesterday, he committed a tremendous blunder by allowing a kickoff that bounced inbounds to remain alive. After the game, he declined to give a clear answer regarding whether he understood the rules governing that scenario.
Steelers fans have been quick to vilify Kaleb Johnson, the rookie running back not long ago they were ready to hoist upon their shoulders and carry into the future. But the good news for the young man is that fortunes can shift back in the other direction quickly. He has committed some serious mistakes in his first two games, but he has time to learn.
In his NFL debut, Johnson fumbled on one kick return, though the Steelers recovered. Yesterday, he met with disaster by letting one kick go. While he attempted to field it, the ball took an awkward bounce above his head. While he may or may not have touched it, it doesn’t matter, because the ball was live either way. And he needed to be aware of that, regardless. And even if he didn’t, he should still know to treat every ball as live.
As you likely know if you’re reading this, the Seahawks pounced on the live ball for a touchdown. They recovered it inbounds, albeit just barely, on a heads-up play. Kaleb Johnson looked shellshocked afterward, which would seem like a clear indication that he didn’t believe the ball remained live once it reached the end zone.
But he’s young and inexperienced, and he will surely grow from this. The Steelers might make a change at kick returner, but over time, Johnson will start doing more of what they brought the third-round pick in to do. They believe he can be a very good runner in their system—once they get their system up and running.
With regular season on the way and the roster in place, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract. Oh, and they also traded some guy named George Pickens, which people found significant.
After a long offseason, we finally know what this Steelers team will look like for the 2025 season. The dust is long settled on both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, and now we’re into the real thing. What final moves might the team make, if any? They’ve certainly made a flurry of moves, though some question whether they make much difference. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
