The Pittsburgh Steelers’ list of impending free agents includes CBs James Pierre and Asante Samuel Jr., OG Isaac Seumalo, QB Aaron Rodgers, WR Calvin Austin III, and a host of other names. But it’s 2025 free agent acquisition Kenneth Gainwell, whom CBS Sports’ Zachary Perales believes the team needs to keep.
“Kenneth Gainwell had 1,023 yards from scrimmage in 2025, nearly 500 yards more than his previous career high. A big part of that was his 73 receptions, fourth-most among running backs behind Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson, and Jahmyr Gibbs. When asked to handle a bigger load with Jaylen Warren out, he excelled: 256 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in two starts,” Perales wrote.
Gainwell played a big role in Pittsburgh’s offense last year, quickly becoming one of Rodgers’ favorite targets despite working behind Jaylen Warren in the team’s running backs rotation. He handled the third-down back role and, as Perales noted, had over 1,000 yards from scrimmage. In every game where Gainwell had 10 or more carries, he had at least 80 rushing yards.
He’s an interesting case as a free agent, though. He’ll likely cash in on his big year, and it’s unclear if the Steelers are willing to pay him around $6 million a year when they already have Warren under contract. Bringing back Gainwell also calls into question the future of RB Kaleb Johnson, Pittsburgh’s third-round pick last season. I’m in favor of bringing Gainwell back, as he played a key role for the Steelers. If Rodgers returns, Gainwell is likely someone he’d prefer on the team.
But when it comes down to one free agent the team has to keep, I’d be more inclined to argue that it’s Pierre, who had a career season after starting the season as a reserve, or Samuel Jr., due to the team’s lack of cornerback depth. If both walk, the team would only have Joey Porter Jr. and Brandin Echols under contract as cornerbacks who actually played a role for the team. This assumes they opt to keep Jalen Ramsey at safety.
I’m certainly not arguing against re-signing Gainwell, though he would be wise to test the market first. I moreso disagree that he’s the No. 1 free agent they should look to bring back, given their lack of depth at cornerback. Receiver is also a thin position, though the team can look at a deep draft class and also try to add in free agency to bolster the position. I think Gainwell should be a higher priority than Calvin Austin III.
It’s going to be interesting to see what ultimately happens with Gainwell, though I certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see him back in the Black and Gold next season.