Fresh off a team MVP season in which he led the Pittsburgh Steelers in receptions and became one of their best offensive weapons, running back Kenneth Gainwell appears poised to land a big contract in free agency.<\/p>\n
There is some concern that due to Gainwell\u2019s big season, he could price himself out of Pittsburgh, even though some beat writers believe the Steelers will do whatever it takes to retain him.<\/a><\/p>\n But for NFL.com\u2019s Kevin Patra, he believes Gainwell could be underpriced in free agency, \u201clost in the shuffle\u201d of the market.<\/p>\n \u201cGainwell is coming off a career-best 537 rushing yards with five TDs, while splitting duties with Jaylen Warren in Pittsburgh. His 47.4% success rate on rush attempts ranked sixth-best among all RBs (min. 100 carries),\u201d Patra writes for NFL.com.<\/a> \u201cGainwell proved his prowess as a receiving back in his first year with the Steelers, generating 486 yards \u2014 fifth-most among backs, behind only Christian McCaffrey,\u00a0Bijan Robinson,\u00a0Jahmyr Gibbs\u00a0and\u00a0De\u2019Von Achane\u00a0\u2014\u00a0with three scores on 73 catches. That dual-threat ability is extremely valuable. <\/p>\n \u201cHowever, Gainwell could be overlooked on the open market. The reality that clubs don\u2019t generally want to spend on the RB position and the deep pool of backs ticketed for free agency means Gainwell could get lost in the shuffle.\u201d<\/p>\n Along with Gainwell hitting the open market, others running backs like Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker, Breece Hall, Rachaad White, Javonte Williams and Travis Etienne \u2014 among others \u2014 are set to cash in (sort of).<\/p>\n Walker should receive the biggest payday in free agency thanks to his performance in the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Hall is maybe the best back of the group, one who is looking to escape New York after a tough 2025 season.<\/p>\n So, Gainwell will have his work cut out for him on the open market. Bringing that dual-threat ability as a runner and receiver will be huge. Former Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers stated during the 2025 season that his goal was to get Gainwell paid, and based on his production, the fifth-year veteran is poised to land a nice haul in free agency.<\/p>\n