Kaleb Johnson Injury News & Updates

Johnson rushed five times for 15 yards during Sunday's 34-12 win over the Bengals.

Despite Sunday's lopsided score, the Steelers sustained several prominent injuries, including a wrist injury for Aaron Rodgers and an ankle injury that Jaylen Warren sustained in the third quarter. The latter's ailment led to a slightly increased role for Johnson, although Kenneth Gainwell saw the biggest uptick in usage. However, Warren said after the matchup that he could have returned to the game, so it seems likely that he'll be available for Pittsburgh's Week 12 tilt in Chicago. Assuming Warren and Gainwell remain available against the Bears, Johnson should continue to have minimal fantasy upside.

Johnson rushed twice for three yards during Sunday's 25-10 loss to the Chargers.

Johnson was on the field for just four offensive snaps Sunday, and he didn't generate much production during the blowout loss. The rookie third-round pick has totaled just nine offensive snaps over the last four weeks, and he's been a non-factor in fantasy over the first half of the season, rushing 17 times for 43 yards while securing one of two targets for nine yards over six appearances.

Johnson rushed once for four yards while securing his lone target for nine yards during Sunday's 27-20 win over Indianapolis.

Johnson didn't see any playing time in the Steelers' last two games, but he was on the field for five offensive snaps against the Colts. While it was encouraging to see him record a couple of touches, he remains firmly behind Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell on the depth chart.

Johnson didn't take the field in Sunday's 35-25 loss to the Packers.

Johnson's lack of usage continued during Sunday's primetime matchup, as he was held off the field for a second consecutive matchup. The rookie entered the season with intriguing potential, but Jaylen Warren has continued to operate as Pittsburgh's primary running back in 2025, while Kenneth Gainwell has consistently served as the No. 2 option. Johnson has appeared in just four games this season, rushing 14 times for 36 yards while failing to secure his lone target.

Johnson was active but wasn't on the field for any snaps during Thursday's 33-31 loss to the Bengals.

Johnson recorded six carries in each of the Steelers' last two games, but he was held off the field Thursday night despite being active. Jaylen Warren was dominant in Thursday's loss, racking up 158 yards from scrimmage, while Kenneth Gainwell was on the field for 39 percent of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps, so work will likely continue to be hard to come by for Johnson as long as the team's top two running backs are healthy.

Johnson rushed six times for 15 yards during Sunday's 23-9 win over the Browns.

Johnson saw six carries during the Steelers' Week 4 win over the Vikings, and he saw a similar workload following Pittsburgh's Week 5 bye. Jaylen Warren continues to serve as the team's clear lead back, but Johnson has seen slightly more opportunities over the past two games. The 22-year-old's 11 offensive snaps still lagged behind Warren (31) and Kenneth Gainwell (20), and Johnson's fantasy value will likely remain limited as long as those two remain healthy.

Johnson rushed the ball six times for 22 yards in Sunday's 24-21 win over the Vikings.

Jaylen Warren's (knee) absence opened up a lot of opportunity in the Pittsburgh backfield. Kenneth Gainwell was the primary back and performed well, though Johnson did see the most significant opportunity of his rookie season. He was servicable in the role, picking up 14 yards on the ground on a drive early in the fourth quarter to help the Steelers to a field goal. Johnson isn't likely to see much of a role when Pittsburgh returns to the field in Week 6, but it was a small step forward after a poor start to his rookie campaign.

Johnson didn't take the field during Sunday's 21-14 win over the Patriots.

Johnson saw minimal snaps over the first two weeks of the regular season, but he was held out Sunday following last week's error on special teams that led to a Seattle touchdown. Jaylen Warren continued to serve as the lead back against New England, playing 80 percent of the Steelers' offensive snaps, while Kenneth Gainwell was on the field for 26 percent. As long as Warren and Gainwell are healthy, Johnson has some work to do if he hopes to carve out a fantasy-relevant role.

Head coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Johnson "probably" won't be returning kickoffs against the Patriots in Week 3, Brooke Pryor of ESPN reports.

Johnson saw just six snaps (two on offense, four on special teams) during the Steelers' 31-17 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday. Despite the limited playing time, the rookie third-rounder made a big impact in a bad way after allowing a ball that passed him on a kick return into the end zone, which led to George Holani recovering the ball for a Seattle touchdown. Johnson has turned two carries into minus-1 yard over the first two games of the regular season and is far from being involved in the Steelers' offense behind Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell on the backfield depth chart.

Johnson rushed once for one yard during Sunday's 31-17 loss to the Seahawks.

Johnson was on the field for just two offensive snaps for a second consecutive week. He played four snaps on special teams, but he didn't pursue a ball that bounced past him on a kickoff in the fourth quarter, which allowed Seattle to recover in the end zone for a touchdown. The 22-year-old showcased some promise during the preseason after being selected in the third round of this year's draft, but he hasn't had a role in Pittsburgh's offense behind Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, and Johnson did little to instill confidence in Week 2.

Johnson rushed the ball once for -2 yards in Sunday's 34-32 win over the Jets. He also returned five kickoffs for 132 yards.

Johnson clearly served as Pittsburgh's third running back, with his only rushing attempt coming late in the third quarter. His primary contribution came as a kick returner, though he narrowly escaped disaster when a teammate recovered his fumble on a return late in the first quarter. Johnson had an uneven training camp due to his work as a pass blocker and receiver, so he'll likely continue to be brought along slowly behind Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell.

Johnson took five carries for 24 yards and one catch for two yards in Thursday's 19-10 preseason win over the Panthers.

Johnson came in at the start of the third drive, after Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell were done playing (but before the first-string offensive linemen were removed). The rookie had gains of seven and eight yards on his carries behind the starting O-line, and he didn't play at all after halftime. It was a nice finish to the preseason, with back-to-back solid outings after struggling in Pittsburgh's opener, but Johnson won't necessarily have a large role come Week 1 against the Jets. That doesn't mean he won't be a key part of the offense as the season progresses, but there's risk of a three-man committee initially, with Warren presumably starting and Gainwell seemingly on track for at least a small role.

Johnson rushed the ball 11 times for 50 yards in Saturday's 17-14 preseason loss to the Buccaneers. He made one reception on one target for nine yards.

Johnson entered the game after Kenneth Gainwell and played deep into the third quarter, while Jaylen Warren rested. Johnson found running room difficult to come by for much of the contest, though he did rip off gains of 14 and nine yards on the ground. While his usage behind Gainwell suggests there is still plenty of room for Johnson to improve, he did seemingly take a step forward relative to his first preseason contest.

Johnson rushed the ball eight times for 20 yards in Saturday's 31-25 preseason win over the Jaguars. He recorded one reception on two targets for six yards.

Jaylen Warren was rested for the game, giving Johnson the chance to work as Pittsburgh's lead back early into the third quarter. Johnson found running room hard to come by -- his longest gain on the ground went for seven yards -- but he was able to pick up tough yardage on a few occasions. His work both in pass protection and as a pass catcher remains in question, but it was a decent pro debut for Johnson.

Johnson was the second running back in with the first-team offense at Thursday's practice, after Jaylen Warren, Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

It's just one practice, but nonetheless a good sign that offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is preparing Johnson to replace Najee Harris. The Steelers don't have Cordarelle Patterson (undisclosed) available at the start of training camp, leaving free-agent signings Kenneth Gainwell and Trey Sermon as the veterans for competing for backup roles. The Steelers hope Johnson will end up pushing Warren for more first-team snaps, rather than struggling during camp and worrying about Gainwell/Patterson/Sermon nipping at his heels.

The Steelers selected Johnson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, 83rd overall.

Johnson (6-foot-1, 224 pounds) is a bigger back who clearly fills the void left by Najee Harris, who signed with the Chargers in free agency. Johnson really broke out in 2024, his third season at Iowa, after showing some flickers of promise in his first two seasons. Johnson's box score was notable in 2024, producing 1,537 yards (6.4 YPC) and 21 touchdowns in 12 games, and now he'll compete for snaps against Jaylen Warren. Warren doesn't necessarily need the help -- Warren took workhorse workloads at Utah State and Oklahoma State in college -- but the Steelers will probably give Johnson every chance to at least work into a timeshare with Warren in 2025.