Kaleb Johnson finally ripped off the kind of run the Pittsburgh Steelers spent his rookie season waiting to see, taking a Green Bay carry 31 yards to the Tampa Bay five-yard line in Sunday’s 17-14 Packers win. The burst set up Tucker Kraft’s touchdown and helped Johnson finish with 42 yards on eight carries.
Johnson never produced a run longer than nine yards as a Steeler, but it shouldn’t trigger instant trade regret. His other seven carries on Sunday gained 11 yards, and his afternoon nearly swung the game back to Tampa Bay with a goal-line fumble.
Pittsburgh traded the 23-year-old to Green Bay on Aug. 30 for a 2028 sixth-round pick, barely 16 months after spending No. 83 overall on him in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Steelers' quick exit from Johnson followed an underwhelming camp that left him fighting for a depth role.
Kaleb Johnson’s big run doesn’t make the Pittsburgh Steelers wrong -- yet
The NFL’s current stat line has Johnson at 20 carries for 80 yards, one catch for 10 yards, and two kick returns for 52 yards through four Packers games. In Pittsburgh, he finished 2025 with 28 carries for 69 yards, one reception for nine yards, and eight kick returns for 190 yards across 10 games. He didn’t score a touchdown and sat out the final three games.
Green Bay has gotten one thing Pittsburgh never did from Johnson. He created an explosive run. That trait made him appealing out of Iowa, where his best work came from pressing zone lanes and getting downhill. His fit under Mike McCarthy looked shakier because he’d been drafted for Arthur Smith’s offense, with Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle ahead of him by August.
Green Bay’s fourth-quarter possession exposed the other side. After the Packers burned 5:43 on a nine-play drive, Johnson fumbled at the Tampa Bay 3 while protecting a 17-14 lead. The Buccaneers recovered with 9:06 remaining, but Green Bay’s defense forced a punt after six plays and minus-three yards.
Johnson’s 31-yarder and his goal-line fumble belong in the same evaluation. The run was better than anything he gave Pittsburgh on the ground. The turnover was just as real. One carry can’t erase a 69-yard rookie season, and one fumble can’t erase early signs in Green Bay that the Packers may be finding a useful role that Pittsburgh never did.
If the explosive runs become repeatable and the ball security improves, Omar Khan’s trade will look worse. For now, Steelers fans have a fresh reason to check Johnson’s box scores, not a reason to call the deal a mistake.
Add us as a preferred source on Google