Aug 9, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Trey Sermon (27) carries the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars during a preseason game at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images Travis Register-Imagn Images

Steelers Add RB Before Patriots Game

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Sep 20, 2025 3:36 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers have announced that they are elevating veteran running back Trey Sermon from the practice squad for the team's Week 3 game at Gillette Stadium against the New England Patriots.

With Kaleb Johnson unlikely to be called upon either on special teams or offense, though his chances of appearing on the field are greater the latter facet of the game, Sermon will step in and could essentially take his role for the time being.

Sermon signed with Pittsburgh after trying out during the team's rookie minicamp in May, and he performed well throughout the team's preseason slate, racking up 50 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries while also adding 46 yards and a score on eight receptions. Furthermore, Sermon returned a single kick for 26 yards.

Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Jaylen Warren will remain the lead back for the Steelers, and rightfully so. After agreeing to a two-year extension that includes $12 million in guarantees ahead of Week 1, he has rushed for 85 yards on 25 carries while also pacing the team in receiving yards thus far with 108 on six catches to go with a touchdown.

Kenneth Gainwell has garnered a heavier workload than originally anticipated as well, running for 39 yards on 12 carries while Johnson has been limited to just two attempts for -1 yards.

Pittsburgh has yet to really get the ground game going, however, evidenced by the fact that they average the third-fewest rushing yards per contest at 62.5 on 3.0 yards per carry, which simply doesn't cut it.

The Steelers won't be able to get much going through the air with the likes of Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith, among others, without first establishing a run game that poses some sort of threat.

The team will continue leaning on Warren, as previously mentioned, but perhaps Sermon could get some touches against the Patriots and help Pittsburgh finally gain some momentum in the run game.

A third-round pick in 2021, Sermon has appeared in a combined 42 games thus far throughout his NFL career for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts. Over that stretch, he's logged 505 yards and three touchdowns on the ground while catching 22 passes for 138 yards.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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