When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Kaleb Johnson in the third round, expectations for his involvement this season were overestimated. Most everyone expected Johnson to step into a role similar to what Najee Harris did for four seasons in the black and gold, but that clearly isn’t the case.
Two games into his rookie season, and Johnson has more blunders on his record than he does carries out of the backfield. Almost entirely relegated to kick return duties, Johnson fumbled a kick return in Week 1, but luckily, Juan Thornhill recovered it. Last week, he treated a kickoff like a punt, allowing George Holani to score the easiest touchdown of his career.
Every rookie goes through growing pains, but some are more severe than others. So far, it’s been a tough go for Johnson, and it’s leading to Mike Tomlin having to make some difficult decisions.
Johnson’s role for Pittsburgh Steelers shrinks before it even begins
On Wednesday, Tomlin said that Johnson would not be continuing his duties as the team’s primary kick returner and that he would instead have to wait for his next opportunity.
The bench is probably the best place for Johnson to be during kickoffs for now. Clearly, he didn’t understand the rules, whether someone explained them to him or not. That said, it wouldn’t be too surprising if Johnson continues to get limited experience on offense, too.
After all, his special teams mistakes do warrant offensive punishments. Even if it is an in-the-moment lapse, the error in Week 2 all but cost the Steelers the game. If you can’t lock in on special teams, it’s hard to grant that trust on offense, too.
Understandably, however, it’s easy to see how a severely limited role for Johnson would give everyone a huge helping of concern about his future. However, Steelers fans have become somewhat spoiled in recent years with the organization's use of rookies, when that is not really the goal. The Steelers have long believed that rookies should learn first and play later. The many instances in recent years where rookies have stepped in right away have been out of necessity.
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Johnson’s minimal usage in the offense before wasn’t a punishment; it was by design. Pittsburgh clearly has more faith in Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell at the top of the depth chart and opted to give him touches as a returner in the meantime. Of course, no one necessarily expected the rushing attack to be what it has been, un-good.
That only compounds on Johnson’s situation, though. If the running game is already lackluster, and he’s still getting his NFL legs under him, there’s no sense in throwing him out there and hoping for the best if they don’t have to. After all, the ground game's struggles are just as much on the offensive line as the ball-carriers themselves.
Still, Johnson’s usage is something fans are going to monitor, especially on offense. If he’s largely out of the picture until the BYE, that seems mostly reasonable. Maybe once we near the halfway point of the season, Johnson will start to get a few more opportunities.