Steelers' Impatience with Kaleb Johnson is a Failure of Development
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Opinion: By trading a third-round investment after just one season, Pittsburgh proves it has no stomach for the developmental curve at running back.
In the NFL, the third round is where you make an investment in a player's ceiling. You don't treat that investment like a disposable asset. Yet, as reported by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN via RotoWire, the Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to trade running back Kaleb Johnson to the Green Bay Packers.
Let's be clear: this is an admission of failure, not by the player, but by a front office that refuses to let a young back actually grow.
Johnson, a 23-year-old out of Iowa, entered the league in 2025 as the 83rd overall pick. He signed a four-year, $6.37 million contract in May of 2025. He was brought in to be a between-the-tackles complement to Jaylen Warren. Instead, he was treated as an afterthought. In 10 regular-season appearances as a rookie, Johnson never saw more than six carries in a single game.
According to RotoWire, Johnson finished his rookie campaign with 28 carries for 69 yards—a meager 2.5 yards per carry—and zero touchdowns. He was targeted twice in the passing game, hauling in one catch for nine yards. On paper, those numbers are dismal. But look at the context: how can you evaluate a third-round pick's 'patience and ability to gain yards after contact'—traits he showed in college—when you never give him more than six touches in a game?
Rather than committing to Johnson's development, the Steelers looked elsewhere. RotoWire reports that the role intended for Johnson was instead claimed by Kenneth Gainwell. Rather than trusting their draft pick after Gainwell left in free agency, Pittsburgh signed Rico Dowdle to a two-year contract as his replacement.
This is the Steelers' pattern. They draft for potential and then panic when that potential doesn't manifest in a vacuum of playing time. Johnson wasn't trusted as a pass-catcher, and he wasn't given the volume to find his rhythm in the run game. Now, just one year into his contract, he's being shipped off to Green Bay.
Johnson will now join a Packers backfield featuring Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd, and Chris Brooks. While Mike McCarthy and his staff may view Johnson with fresh eyes, the reality is that Pittsburgh gave up on him before he ever had a chance to start.
Trading a third-round pick after a single season of minimal opportunity isn't 'aggressive roster management.' It is a lack of patience. If the Steelers continue to treat their developmental assets as interchangeable parts, they will continue to waste the value of their draft picks.