The Pittsburgh Steelers spent a third-round pick on running back Kaleb Johnson, but the coaching staff is clearly in no rush to put the ball in his hands on offense. Despite higher expectations for the rookie out of Iowa, his only contributions in the season opener came on special teams.
Johnson didn’t receive a single touch on offense in the first half of the season opener against the New York Jets. The Steelers instead gave the bulk of the touches out of the backfield to Kenneth Gainwell. Johnson didn't get his first touch on offense until the second half, which resulted in a two-yard loss.
On special teams, Johnson has worked as a kick returner, but the rookie has struggled in that role, likely pointing to why he’s not involved with the offense just yet.
The Pittsburgh Steelers sent an early message with Kaleb Johnson's limited role
As a returner, Johnson fielded five kicks for 132 yards, averaging 26.4 yards per return. He stumbled on one of his early returns and fumbled on another, though he was able to recover the ball before a Jet could take advantage.
It’s not overly surprising that the Steelers aren’t throwing a rookie into the fire right off the bat when they don’t have to. Still, Johnson had higher expectations when he was brought to the franchise, so it’s no doubt disappointing to the fan base that he isn’t making more of an impact early on for the offense.
It's doubly disappointing that he hasn't done more with his touches on special teams. He didn't break tackles or show more innovation to create a chance for a big play.
In his final season at Iowa, Johnson led the Big Ten with 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns. He showed big-play capability and flashed better speed than what his 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine would suggest. Nonetheless, it’s been a slow start for him in Pittsburgh.
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Of course, the season is still young, and Johnson will surely have his opportunities to contribute on offense before too long. Naturally, fumbling the football early doesn’t bode well for that opportunity to come sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, the Steelers will lean on their veterans in Gainwell and Jaylen Warren out of the backfield. Both players provide more consistency in the passing game, which proves beneficial with Aaron Rodgers under center.