The Green Bay Packers are banking on Kaleb Johnson to give their backfield a jolt after Sunday’s trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and the running back isn’t hiding from how rough his first NFL season was.
Johnson arrives in Green Bay with a chance to matter right away after Josh Jacobs landed on the Commissioner's Exempt List. Jacobs had been the centerpiece of the Packers’ ground game, piling up 2,258 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns, plus 72 catches for 624 yards and two scores over the last two seasons.
That leaves the Packers turning to Johnson and MarShawn Lloyd to help carry the load. Lloyd has flashed ability, but availability has been the issue; he has appeared in just one game over his first two seasons.
Johnson’s own rookie year with the Steelers never got on track. He finished with 69 rushing yards on 28 carries and added one catch for nine yards.
“At first, it was my mental errors that killed it for me, the kick-off killed me... I give all the respect to the Steelers for giving me a chance but now its Go, Pack, Go,” Johnson said.
There’s still plenty of reason for Green Bay to believe the upside is there. Johnson was electric at Iowa in 2024, rushing for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns while also catching 22 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns. That season earned him All-American honors and put him among the top backs in the country.
If the Packers can unlock that version of him, Johnson could become a real factor in the offense. And even with the run game in flux, Green Bay may still be built to lean on the air attack.
Jordan Love is coming off an efficient 2025 season in which he completed 66.3 percent of his passes for 3,381 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He’ll have no shortage of targets either, with Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Jayden Reed, and Tucker Kraft giving him a strong supporting cast as he heads into the 2026 season with a shot at an MVP-caliber year.
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