Kaleb Johnson trade grades for Packers, Steelers

As NFL teams attempt to trim their rosters down to 53 players, trades are flying around the league left and right. One such deal saw the Pittsburgh Steelers part with Kaleb Johnson. The details of the move are unconfirmed, but the trade sends the running back to the Green Bay Packers. The Packers had a dire need for running back insurance, and Pittsburgh was ready to cut their losses with an apparent draft bust. So, how do these two teams grade out for this trade?

Steelers move on from Kaleb Johnson

The Steelers drafted Johnson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Just over a year later, they’ve already given up on him. Expectations were high for the Iowa product heading into his rookie season after he was the sixth running back off the board, but he struggled mightily in year one.

Johnson’s career got off to an immediately rough start, as he had a kickoff return blunder that allowed the opposing Seattle Seahawks to score a touchdown. Johnson never seemed to regain trust from the coaching staff, and he was only given 28 carries all season long, despite there being touches readily available in Pittsburgh’s backfield.

Those 28 carries amounted to just 69 yards and 2.5 yards per carry. After a rough rookie season, Johnson’s case wasn’t helped when the Steelers went out and added Rico Dowdle and Travis Homer in free agency. The moves buried the still-young ball carrier down the depth chart and put him at risk of not making the team altogether, despite his status as a recent high draft pick.

If Johnson truly wasn’t going to make the team because Pittsburgh couldn’t trust him as a returner or a running back, then they were smart to get something back in return. Even so, it is disappointing to see a team give up on a young player so quickly. Johnson was drafted with loads of potential just over a year ago, and while the Jaylen Warren-led backfield has some solid depth, it isn’t loaded with superstar talent. If the return is just a future late-round pick, the Steelers may have been better off giving Johnson one more chance. After all, rookie scale contracts are cheap, and players at the running back position take a beating, so having a second-year player with relatively fresh legs wouldn’t hurt at all.

Grade: B-

Packers add running back insurance