Kaleb Johnson didn’t have the rookie year he wanted. If he doesn’t improve in a hurry, Johnson won’t have the sophomore season he envisioned, either. It might not even come in Pittsburgh.

Drafted to be an immediate impact runner, Johnson instead spent most of 2025 on the sidelines. In training camp, he struggled in blitz pickup and catching the ball. Deal-breakers when it came to playing with QB Aaron Rodgers, who needed a player he could trust to do those not-so-little things. Kenneth Gainwell shined on the way to a career year, becoming 1B to Jaylen Warren’s 1A.

Johnson was left to carve out a role elsewhere. Pittsburgh tried him as a kick returner. That plan went up in smoke in Week 2 after Johnson’s kickoff blunder in the home opener against the Seattle Seahawks, absentmindedly letting a bouncing kick go past him that was recovered in the end zone for a Seattle touchdown. It turned the tide in a Pittsburgh loss.

The Steelers removed Johnson from kick-return duties and though Mike Tomlin teased giving him a second chance, one never came. Warren and Gainwell assumed those duties instead. Johnson was left without a way to help. Still dressing for games, it was common for him to barely see the field – if at all. In Week 7 and 8 contests against the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers, Johnson was active but failed to play a single snap on offense or special teams. Pittsburgh effectively played with one fewer man than its opponent.

When Johnson saw action, it was in a reduced role. He logged just 51 offensive snaps for the year and only 25 after Week 6. In total, he carried the ball 28 times for just 2.5 yards per carry. Johnson tallied only two first downs and a 25-percent success rate. A small sample size but of the 10 running backs with 25-40 carries last year, Johnson ranked last in all three of those marks: yards per carry, first downs, and success rate.

Gainwell exited but Rico Dowdle was signed almost immediately to replace him. Working with Mike McCarthy in Dallas, he’s the team’s clear No. 2 if not the No. 1. Johnson remains the No. 3.

Now, Kaleb Johnson is competing with Travis Homer. A veteran with only 90 career carries might not look intimidating. But Homer is a strong special teamer and coverage player. A Miles Killebrew replacement as the personal protector on the punt team. He offers things Johnson simply can’t. With 49 career tackles and more than 1,300 special teams snaps, tied sixth-most leaguewide since 2019, Homer has a clear path and niche. What is Johnson’s?

If Johnson doesn’t dramatically improve as a runner, he’ll continue to offer little gameday value. Homer will have more. Under a new coaching staff unattached to Johnson, that could lead to his exit. If Johnson isn’t going to make the 53-man roster, Pittsburgh may look to trade him for a Day 3 pick. He’ll still have three years on his rookie deal and could land with a team high on him ahead of the ’25 draft.

Lasting less than two years with the team is uncommon but not unheard of. In 2009, Pittsburgh waived 2008 third-rounder Bruce Davis, and didn’t even re-sign him to its practice squad. He left never to return. In 2010, Pittsburgh cut 2009 third-round OG Kraig Urbik, who was claimed off waivers by the Buffalo Bills. Dri Archer was cut in November 2015, his second season, after failing to find a home or add value to the roster.

Signing Homer doesn’t close the book on Johnson. Second-year runners have leapt before. Le’Veon Bell did it. James Conner especially did it, looking like a brand-new player in 2018, although being another year removed from beating cancer certainly played its part. Johnson has a year to reflect, recharge, and course correct. If the talent is there, it’ll shine through and make him more valuable than keeping Homer around.

Still, the signs are there. Johnson’s career is off to a rocky start. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who drafted Johnson specifically for his outside zone system, is gone. Homer is going to push Johnson and offers something different. This summer is already critical for Kaleb Johnson. Or else his fall might be spent on another team’s roster.