Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson faces a roster-bubble test entering 2026

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2026 roster picture is shaping up as a clear opportunity for some players and a clear test for others, and running back Kaleb Johnson is squarely in the latter group. Even after a third-round investment in the 2025 draft cycle, Johnson is not being treated as assured to be on the active roster this fall, according to reporting that cites Steelers beat coverage and coach-player evaluation from his rookie year.

Johnson entered the league with production and pedigree from Iowa, where he rushed for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns on 240 carries in 2024. He also earned national recognition at the collegiate level, including consensus All-American honors and Big Ten Running Back of the Year. Still, the Steelers’ decision to take him did not translate into immediate offensive impact, at least in terms of touches.

As a rookie in 2025, Johnson appeared in 10 games and played 51 offensive snaps. His rushing workload was limited, totaling 69 yards on 28 carries. The season narrative for Pittsburgh’s coaching staff was not just that he was behind the main rotation, but that he also had trouble translating to NFL game speed and execution when opportunities arrived.

One moment stood out in the early portion of the schedule, according to the same reporting. In Week 2 against Seattle, Johnson was involved in a costly special-teams play when he failed to field a kickoff at his 4-yard line, allowing it to bounce into the end zone for a Seahawks touchdown in a 31-17 loss. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin characterized it as “poor judgment by a young player” after the game, reflecting the high standard Pittsburgh applies to details.

The restrictions that followed were part of why Johnson’s 2026 status feels precarious. Reporting indicates Tomlin made Johnson inactive on multiple occasions and that Johnson’s last appearance of the regular season came with two carries for four yards late in the schedule. Pittsburgh’s year-end also included additional games where Johnson did not see action, underscoring that his rookie role never stabilized into a trust-based workload.

Beyond the field, a coaching change adds a fresh variable. Tomlin resigned after the season, and the Steelers are now operating under Mike McCarthy. In situations like this, a player who has not yet established a consistent on-field niche often needs to win more than one department-wide “permission slip,” whether that is for pass protection, play-to-play running decisions, or special-teams reliability.

For Johnson, the next step is simple in concept but demanding in practice. He must show the Steelers’ staff that the skills that made him a high draft pick can survive contact, assignment changes, and time constraints in live-game football. If he cannot, the roster bubble becomes literal, because Pittsburgh has several established backs and will need depth that can contribute immediately when injuries, matchups, and game scripts tighten.

Overall, Johnson’s 2026 story is less about whether he has talent and more about whether he can close the gap between “potential” and “proven value” in Pittsburgh’s system. The team’s training-camp evaluation period, plus the daily competition for snaps, will determine whether Johnson turns the rookie-year setbacks into a clear rebound or whether the Steelers decide to move on from a 2025 third-round selection quickly. Watch how quickly he earns trust across offense and special teams, because that is where the roster math is usually decided.