The majority of the exciting offseason moves the Pittsburgh Steelers made this season were with veteran players. The Steelers added a ton of established players, hoping to immediately contend for a title with the veteran-heavy roster. However, Pittsburgh did add a few exciting rookies who are expected to contribute in 2025.
One of those first-year players is Kaleb Johnson, a running back selected in the third round of the 2025 Draft by the Steelers. Entering the season, fans have high expectations for Johnson to create an exciting backfield duo with veteran rusher Jaylen Warren. Unfortunately, Johnson’s journey to reaching those expectations didn’t get off to a great start in his first preseason action.
The rookie runner carried the ball eight times on Saturday against the Jacksonville Jaguars for just 20 yards, with one carry going for seven yards. He also caught one pass for six yards. The underwhelming debut earned him a C+ grade in a rookie grading piece on NFL.com by Chad Reuter.
Pittsburgh Steelers' Kaleb Johnson receives criticism for his preseason performance
It’s important to remember that it’s just preseason and that it was also just one game. Reuter essentially made that point by highlighting how Johnson could play a big role for Pittsburgh’s run game when the season starts. However, he detailed how the rookie fell short of delivering a positive first impression.
"He was not particularly explosive or elusive against the Jaguars, falling to a shoestring tackle on his first attempt and later getting cut down on a fourth-and-1 by a free defensive back. Johnson ran with some power, though, keeping his shoulders low and square to pick up a third-and-4 and later earning a first down on three tough carries. The third-round pick stepped up to stop a blind-side blitz on the team's second touchdown, but he dropped one of his pass targets, trying to run before securing the ball."Chad Reuter (NFL.com)
Johnson will have the opportunity to redeem himself in Week 2 of the preseason when the Steelers host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While the performance will still ultimately be unofficial since it’s another preseason game, fans would love to see the third-round pick have an impressive outing. If that happens, Kaleb Johnson could build some momentum that he carries into Week 3 of the preseason, and ultimately the regular season.