The 2025 NFL Draft saw 25 running backs get picked, and the Pittsburgh Steelers took the sixth one off the board with Kaleb Johnson in the third round. He only ended up playing 51 offensive snaps this season as a healthy scratch for several games. It isn’t time to give up on him, but he was Arthur Smith’s ideal back and they barely used him. And now Smith is all but out the door.
Jaylen Warren is under contract through 2027, but Kenneth Gainwell is a pending free agent and could get a nice pay day after being the team MVP with over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 2025.