Steelers Rookie RB Steadily Improving

Steelers Rookie RB Steadily Improving originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost starting running back Najee Harris to the Los Angeles Chargers this offseason in free agency. So the team could use someone to step up in his place as a result.

And they have a rookie running back who could do just that.

On a recent episode of his podcast, Steelers insider Mark Kaboly spoke a bit about the team’s running back room, and he thinks rookie Kaleb Johnson could carve out a spot for himself in the team’s backfield.

“Kaleb Johnson has been working on it, but you can tell he has all of the tools and he’s gonna pick that up really, really quickly,” Kaboly said.

The former Iowa running back has a bit of problem with pass-blocking, but that is what Kaboly says that the young rookie has been working on so far in team practice and OTAs.

In his final season with the Hawkeyes, Johnson showed that he can carry a team by racking up 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground, both of which led the Big Ten Conference. He was also able to show his versatility with just under 200 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

The Steelers were in the top half of the league this past season in rushing yards with the 11th-most. Now that Harris has moved on from the team, Johnson will be hoping he can slot in and prove his worth by continuing the team’s success on the ground.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.

Steelers Rookie RB Steadily Improving

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