The talk of the Pittsburgh Steelers' offseason has been about the massive amount of turnover that this team has gone through. Both the offense and defense have seen some major swings and changes in personnel.
While the likes of D.K. Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey, Jonnu Smith, and Aaron Rodgers will dominate the attention as big-name additions, one name seems to be flying under the radar.
Kenneth Gainwell could quickly outplay his contract.
Now look, the running back room will be dominated by Jaylen Warren and third-round rookie Kaleb Johnson. Assuming both stay healthy, they should dominate with 80 percent or more of the snaps on offense.
That is part of the reason why he is flying under the radar. He won’t be playing a major role on offense as a traditional running back, but he can provide quite a few points of value as he makes an impact on this team.
The Pittsburgh Steelers can get the most out of Kenneth Gainwell
Gainwell isn’t a player that you want handling half of the workload for your offense, but as a bit player with some burst, sign me up. Outside of 2023, Gainwell never saw more than 30 percent of the offensive snaps. Despite that, he has remained productive.
Specifically, I think he can do some damage as a receiver. He has had steady contributions as a third down and receiving back, and Rodgers loves to check down to his runners when the pocket breaks down.
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Warren will retain some of that role, but given the expectations that he will be the top option this year, he may give up some of that work. That provides a natural outlet for Gainwell to get his snaps. He could easily have over 200 yards receiving and over 400 total yards.
That isn’t anything to write home about, but as a third back and an afterthought in your offense, you could do a lot worse.
None of this accounts for his return work. As of now, it is expected that Gainwell will serve as the kick returner, and considering how bad that unit was, he can help the group take some steps forward there. A few big returns mixed in with a notable role is a big win for the team.
No, he isn’t going to be a highlight every week, and he shouldn’t outproduce the other backs ahead of him, but Gainwell can become a sneaky weapon for this offense. At the bare minimum, he should give the return game a boost while providing excellent depth.