It might be too soon for the Pittsburgh Steelers to hit the panic button on rookie running back Kaleb Johnson, but it's close. Mike Tomlin shoved the rookie back into the kick return role, and things have gone from bad to worse. He fumbled the ball last week, which was luckily recovered. In Week 2 of the season, he made a boneheaded decision and allowed the Seahawks to score.
Johnson received some snaps on offense, but he hasn't gotten many chances. When he does get the ball in his hands, he is met with a wall of defenders bearing down on him. Time could heal all wounds in this scenario, but for Johnson, you couldn't have drawn up a worse start to his NFL career. It could force the team into trade conversations to upgrade the position if this continues.
They have Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell in front of the rookie tailback on the depth chart. No one would be losing their roster spot if a trade happened, but it would shrink the rookie's chances of rebounding. Maybe Pittsburgh will show patience for now, but if they decide to search the trade market, they could find a legit partner for Warren to pair with this season.
Pittsburgh Steelers' RB Kaleb Johnson might force trade conversations to heat up
After a brutal first game of the season, the run game showed some signs of progress against Seattle. It wasn't perfect, but Warren showed he can make some plays on the ground. The offensive line showed some promise, but Johnson failed to accomplish much with his one carry. His role isn't expanding on offense, and his shortcomings on special teams won't help his cause.
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There is no reason to trade the rookie running back, as the Steelers hope he can turn his career around. It has been a brutal start to the season, but he could always turn a corner if he gets a shot on offense. Tomlin sending him back onto the field as a kick returner would be coaching malpractice. The rookie clearly isn't designed to fit that role, and Tomlin needs to accept that.
Expectations were high for the Steelers' third-round pick this past spring heading into training camp. Although he showed flashes of potential, he struggled to carry that over into the preseason.
He has shown signs of growing pains to fill out the rest of his game. He must become a better pass protector and someone who can catch the ball out of the backfield, similar to Warren.
Johnson isn't a throwaway at this point. Pittsburgh invested a high pick in him. If he continues to struggle or gets worse, the Steelers would be wise to consider trading for a player who would excel in a duo with Warren. Gainwell isn't the answer, and the coaching staff's experiment with him has failed. Johnson must get more snaps on offense, or a trade acquisition should happen.