Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson (20) gets ready to catch the Jets punt and run the ball, Sunday, September 7, 2025, in East Rutherford. Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Steelers Rookie RB Could Break Franchise Record

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jacob Punturi | Last updated Sep 12, 2025 7:00 AM ET

PITTSBURGH — Rookie runnning back Kaleb Johnson is still working his way up for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but there’s no doubting how intriguing a prospect he is. While he has a ways to go to take away meaningful snaps from Jaylen Warren or Kenneth Gainwell, the Steelers are already finding use for his explosiveness and speed. He was the main kicker returner for the team during their Week 1 victory over the New York Jets and appears to have held onto that role heading into Week 2.

If Johnson is able to replicate the production he head on kick returns for the entirety of the season, he may set a new Steelers record. Against the Jets, Johnson returned five kicks and racked up an impressive 132 kick return yards, including a long of 29 yards. With such a hot start, Johnson could approach the franchise’s single season record for kick return yards.

The leader in that category belongs to former Steelers speedster and return specialist, Stefan Logan. Logan was a cult hero in Pittsburgh during the lone season he played with the team. As the team’s kick and punt returner in 2009, he fielded 55 kick offs and amassed a team record 1,466 yards, good for an average of 26.7 yards per return. While he didn’t score any touchdowns on special teams, he frequently set up the team’s offense with solid field position.

Johnson’s Week 1 performance is putting him on pace to smash Logan’s franchise record. Johnson averaged 26.4 yards per return, but what really has him on track so early is the volume he received in the role. The Steelers defense was far from its best, and their frequent touchdowns allowed paved the way for Johnson to have five chances to kick off. If he is given that many opportunities per game, there’s no telling how many all-purpose yards or possible return touchdowns he might produce.

If he is able to keep his average yards pace up, however, he will still have a shot to beat Logan’s record without needing five returns each contest. It would take 55.53 attempts (let’s round up to 56 to make things even) with that average return pace to hit/surpass the 1,466 yards posted by Logan in 2009. Good news for Johnson is that the NFL plays 17 games now, not 16.

So, while Johnson hopes to see a smaller handful of return opportunities per game, he’s put himself in wonderful shape to pick up a franchise record in his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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

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