When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Kenneth Gainwell this offseason, there wasn't much fanfare. How could there be, with the massive trades for DK Metcalf and Jalen Ramsey and the signing of Aaron Rodgers dominating the headlines? He was an afterthought, making barely above league-minimum salary on a one-year contract.
Now, with the season drawing to a close, he is clearly anything but an afterthought. Gainwell was voted as the Steelers team MVP by his teammates on Friday, becoming the first running back to win the award since Le'Veon Bell in 2016.
He absolutely deserved it as well, as he has been Pittsburgh's most reliable offensive weapon this season. Instead of being the third running back behind Jaylen Warren and third-round pick Kaleb Johnson, as many expected, he has formed a dynamic duo with Warren while keeping Johnson on the bench.
Kenneth Gainwell earned his recognition as the Pittsburgh Steelers team MVP this season
If you had told Steelers fans that Gainwell, not Metcalf or one of the many tight ends the Steelers employ, would lead the team in receptions this year, they would have called you crazy. Or perhaps they would have assumed something went terribly wrong with the offense.
In some ways, the second point has some merit. While the offense has fared well overall this season, a big part of why Gainwell has been so productive is Rodgers' tendency to dump the ball off instead of attacking the deep and intermediate parts of the field. At 42 years old, he isn't as keen to hold onto the ball or stand tall in the pocket to deliver throws.
That is the biggest culprit for why he has suddenly broken out in his fifth NFL season. Still, it's not like he hasn't taken good advantage of his opportunities.
He has racked up 65 for 422 yards and three touchdowns, to go along with 109 carries for 527 yards and four more scores. All that combines for 949 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns, both ranking second on the team behind his running mate, Warren.
That is nearly double his career-best season in terms of production. His teammates obviously view him very favorably as well, or else they wouldn't have voted him team MVP.
With Gainwell hitting free agency again this offseason, it seems highly unlikely the Steelers will allow him to leave. He will command far more than the $1.79 million he earned in 2025, but running back contracts rarely break the bank. Something in $5-$6 million per year range should be as high as the price gets, unless a team really overpays to acquire his services. Hopefully, general manager Omar Khan is already preparing a strong offer to lock him in for the next few seasons.