Steelers Face Key Offseason Decision: How Much is Kenny Gainwell Worth?
The Steelers may have found a gem in Kenny Gainwell - now the question is, can they afford to keep him?
After signing Gainwell to a modest one-year, $1.79 million deal last offseason, Pittsburgh watched the former fifth-round pick blossom into a key piece of their offense. And not just any piece - we're talking about the team MVP, as voted by his own teammates. That kind of recognition doesn’t come lightly in an NFL locker room.
Gainwell’s 2025 campaign was a breakout by any measure. He rushed for 537 yards and five touchdowns, solid production on the ground.
But where he truly separated himself was through the air. Gainwell led the team with 73 receptions, turning those into 486 yards and three touchdowns.
In today’s NFL, where versatility is king and running backs are increasingly asked to be pass-catchers, Gainwell delivered in a big way.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn’t hold back when talking about his appreciation for Gainwell’s game.
“Kenny’s been unbelievable in the passing game. Just unbelievable,” Rodgers said.
“And he’s so damn smart. I was telling him, ‘I wish I had played with him for 10 years.’
Just because the kind of player that he is. You just love playing with that guy.”
That kind of praise from a future Hall of Famer says a lot. It’s not just about stats with Gainwell - it’s about football IQ, reliability, and chemistry. He’s become the kind of player quarterbacks trust, and coaches lean on when the game tightens up.
Now, with free agency looming, the Steelers have to figure out how to keep him in black and gold - and according to Spotrac, it might not cost them as much as you’d expect. Gainwell’s projected market value sits at two years, $6 million. That’s a bargain for a player coming off a season like his.
Of course, market value projections are just that - projections. Things can shift quickly once free agency opens, especially if other teams see the same upside Pittsburgh has. But if that $6 million price tag holds, the Steelers should be sprinting to get a deal done.
It’s also worth noting that Pittsburgh already made a move to secure Jaylen Warren last offseason, locking him into a two-year extension that runs through 2027. Together, Warren and Gainwell give the Steelers a dynamic one-two punch in the backfield - a pairing that’s shown real promise and could be the foundation of the offense moving forward.
Gainwell’s journey from a fifth-round pick in 2021 with the Eagles to a team MVP in Pittsburgh has been steady and impressive. Over his career, he’s totaled 1,722 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, along with 175 receptions for 1,207 yards and four more scores. He’s not just a change-of-pace back anymore - he’s a legitimate offensive weapon.
Now the ball’s in Pittsburgh’s court. They’ve seen what Gainwell can do.
They’ve seen how he elevates the offense. The only question left is whether they’ll move quickly to lock him in before someone else does.