Kaleb Johnson’s path to a Steelers roster spot got a lot steeper after Pittsburgh’s preseason opener.
The Steelers beat the Green Bay Packers 28-9, but Johnson didn’t do much to help his case. He was on the field for just five offensive snaps and three special teams snaps, and he finished with two carries for three rushing yards. In a game where several players made noise, Johnson’s night stood out for the wrong reasons.
What makes the situation more telling is who didn’t play. Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle were both out, yet Johnson still didn’t get much of a bump in opportunity.
Travis Homer and Lew Nichols worked ahead of him in the first half, a clear sign of where the coaching staff has him slotted right now. Johnson didn’t even enter until the third quarter.
That lines up with how training camp has gone. The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo reported that Johnson has been competing for the RB3 job this summer, but he hasn’t done more than what the offensive line has created for him. His value as a pass catcher out of the backfield also hasn’t helped him separate.
It’s a rough turn for a player Pittsburgh drafted in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft. Last season under Mike Tomlin and his staff, Johnson played in 10 games but was on the field for only nine percent of the offensive snaps. He totaled 28 carries for 69 rushing yards in those appearances.
Now, with a new staff in place, he still hasn’t made enough progress to move up the depth chart. Camp and preseason are the moments for bubble players to force the issue, especially when a new coaching staff is sorting out roles. Johnson hasn’t delivered that kind of push.
Pittsburgh GM Omar Khan helped bring Johnson to town, but that hasn’t changed the reality of the competition around him. Dowdle, Warren, Homer, and Nichols all appear to be ahead of him in the backfield pecking order. Rookie running back Eli Heidenreich also looks to have earned some favor with the staff after logging 25 offensive snaps, finishing with nine carries and 21 rushing yards against Green Bay.
At this point, Johnson still has time to prove he belongs, but after this preseason showing, making the 53-man roster looks like a real uphill climb.
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