The Pittsburgh Steelers have emphasized adding more playmakers on offense over the last few years. As a result, they finally have strong depth at running back, wide receiver and tight end.
However, it could be too much depth at the end of August. At least too much for every single quality playmaker to make the Steelers roster.
On Sunday, Steelers Depot’s Matthew Marczi projected the team to make the difficult decision of letting go 2025 third-round running back Kaleb Johnson.
“Initially, I had the Steelers keeping four true running backs on their 53-man roster — I included Riley Nowakowski with the tight ends. I saw both Kaleb Johnson and Eli Heidenreich making the cut,” wrote Marczi. “But the former seems to have fallen out of favor, and the latter hasn’t done much yet.
“Meanwhile, Travis Homer started the first preseason game and is an important special teams player.”
For that reason, Marczi projected the Steelers to keep Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle and Travis Homer at running back.
It will be disappointing for the Steelers to cut hometown favorite Eli Heidenreich. But releasing Johnson as part of the team’s roster cuts would be a different level of disappointing.
The Steelers selected Johnson at No. 83 overall just a year ago. Pundits expected him to make an immediate impact with the team after he led the Big Ten with 1,537 rushing yards during 2024.
Just a year after those high expectations, though, Johnson is potentially on the roster bubble.
Kaleb Johnson Projected to Miss Steelers 53-Man Roster
GettyPittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson could be in danger of missing the team’s 53-man roster this month.
On one hand, it’s not shocking Marczi predicted Johnson to be cut. Johnson only ran for 69 yards while averaging 2.5 yards per carry as a rookie.
He also made one of the biggest special teams blunders of the entire NFL season on the kickoff return team.
But the Steelers misused Johnson as a rookie. He’s not a returner but rather a between-the-tacklers bruiser. In Mike McCarthy’s offense, if Johnson gets a shot in the role he excelled in during college, he could quickly change his career around in Pittsburgh.
The hard part, though, is seeing how Johnson gets that shot this fall. With Warren and Dowdle, the Steelers have their 1-2 punch at running back.
And if Johnson isn’t going to play on special teams, it would make sense for the Steelers to keep a different third running back who will.
Pittsburgh’s RB Depth Entering Preseason Week 2
GettySteelers Depot’s Matthew Marczi predicted Mike McCarthy and the Pittsburgh Steelers to release 2025 third-round running back Kaleb Johnson.
At the end of the Mike Tomlin era, the Steelers simply didn’t have the offensive depth to even consider cutting a young third-round pick.
In a way, the fact Johnson is potentially on the chopping block speaks to how well the Steelers have done adding depth at every playmaker position.
Marczi projected the team to keep six receivers and four tight ends. Half of those six wideouts are new additions, including two rookies — Michael Pittman Jr., Germie Bernard and Kaden Wetjen.
At tight end, the Steelers lost veterans Jonnu Smith and Connor Heyward in March. But they appear to have struck gold in the bargain bin with Robert Tonyan. The Steelers also selected Riley Nowakowski in the NFL Draft, who the team has listed as a tight end/full back.
If the Steelers can find the roster space to keep a fourth running back, Johnson should have a much easier time making the roster. But should other positions squeeze the team into only carrying three backs on the first 53-man list, Johnson could be off the roster.
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