Steelers HC Mike McCarthy Admits Plan With RB Kaleb Johnson

As questions continue to surround the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ running back position behind Jaylen Warren, head coach Mike McCarthy decided to grant Kaleb Johnson a big opportunity on Friday night.

After only receiving two carries in Pittsburgh’s preseason opener on August 13, Johnson touched the ball 12 times in the 17-0 loss to the Jets. And while, unlike the Steelers 28-9 win over the Packers, the offense struggled to move the ball consistently and failed to put any points on the scoreboard with New York in town, Johnson attempted to make the most out of his chance to impress.

Johnson ran for 39 yards on 10 rushing attempts, averaging 3.9 yards per carry. He also caught two passed for 15 yards.

McCarthy even admitted that “it was a conscious effort to give him (Johnson) more opportunities” when asked by reporters about the workload for the 23-year-old back after the game.

Mike McCarthy on Kaleb Johnson playing so much:"It was a conscious effort to give him more opportunities."

Johnson had a game-high 10 carries and gained 39 yards.

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) August 22, 2026

Johnson did appear in 10 games as a rookie in 2025, but was only handed 28 carries. He totaled 68 yards on the ground and one reception for nine yards off two targets overall throughout the season.

So while Johnson, Pittsburgh’s 2025 third round pick out of the University of Iowa, still remains an unknown and has yet to really prove himself in the NFL, it’s notable that his new head coach – he played for Mike Tomlin in his first year – remains interested in seeing what he can do if given more of a shot. And it’s now likely that Johnson earned another long look in the Steelers’ preseason finale on Thursday, August 27th in Buffalo.

Depth chart wise, Johnson is still behind veteran newcomer Rico Dowdle, coming off a season in which he surpassed 1,000 yards with 1,076 and scored six touchdowns in 2025 with Carolina, and Warren, who averaged 4.5 yards per carry and racked up 958 yards as Pittsburgh’s featured back last season.

It will now remain to be seen how Johnson is handled and what his future on the Steelers’ roster under McCarthy looks like.

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