Upon Review: Grading the 2025 Steelers running backs

Steel City Underground presents it’s ‘Upon Review’ series of Pittsburgh Steelers positional group grades for the 2025 NFL season with statistical analysis and performance reviews.

The Pittsburgh Steelers allowed Najee Harris to depart the team in favor of keeping Jaylen Warren on the roster as their primary running back. The addition of Kenneth Gainwell on March 13, 2025 as a free agent turned out to be an excellent move for the franchise. The Steelers acquired Big 10 standout Kaleb Johnson via the 2025 NFL Draft (3rd round, 83rd overall pick). Trey Sermon was also added during free agency, on May 11, 2025, but spent most of his time on special teams and the practice squad. We look at this positional group’s performance through the 2025 season and offer our individual and positional group grades.

Jaylen Warren

Warren emerged as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ lead running back, posting career highs across key rushing categories. Warren played and started in 16 regular season games, recording 211 carries for 958 rushing yards (a 4.5-yard average) and 6 rushing touchdowns – all marks that led his career to date. He also contributed as a receiver with 40 receptions for 333 yards and 2 receiving scores and added special teams value with 205 kickoff return yards while maintaining ball security with just one fumble lost.

Warren’s season featured several standout performances, including a 143-yard, two-touchdown game against Detroit late in the year, showcasing his explosiveness and ability to break long runs. Despite sharing backfield touches with Kenneth Gainwell (who was voted team MVP), Warren handled a heavier workload and was a pivotal part of Pittsburgh’s ground attack.

Grade: A-

Warren delivered a highly productive first season as the primary back, demonstrating durability, efficiency, and big-play capability. His scoring and versatility could improve further with more goal-line opportunities.

Kenneth Gainwell

Gainwell was a key offensive and special-teams weapon for the Pittsburgh Steelers, earning team MVP honors from his teammates for his all-around contributions. Gainwell appeared in 17 games, posting 109 carries for 527 rushing yards (a 4.8-yard average) with 4 rushing touchdowns, ranking second on the team in rushing output. He was highly productive as a receiver, leading the Steelers with 65 receptions for 422 yards and 3 receiving touchdowns out of the backfield, showcasing his versatility in the passing game. His receiving yards ranked third on the team behind top wideouts. Gainwell also added value on special teams with 25 kickoff returns for 601 yards and finished the year with 1,550 all-purpose yards.

Gainwell’s ability to produce in multiple phases and impact games both on the ground and through the air made him indispensable in Pittsburgh’s offense, especially when filling in for injuries and in creative packages.

Grade: A 

A breakout season marked by efficiency, reliability, and elite pass-catching from the backfield.

Kaleb Johnson

Although Johnson ran roughshod over the Big 10 while with the Iowa Hawkeyes, his transition into the NFL was not one of immediate success. The tempo seemed to indicate that, although he can be a shifty runner, he didn’t quite fit as well into Arthur Smith’s offensive scheme the way the Steelers wanted.

Johnson appeared in 10 regular-season games, rushing 28 times for 69 yards (2.5 yards per carry) and no touchdowns while adding 1 reception for 9 yards; his offensive opportunities were sparse behind Warren and Gainwell.

Grade: C-

Physical traits and draft capital suggest potential, but in 2025 he did not consistently translate that into on-field performance.

Final positional group grade

Grade: B+

Although Sermon got minimal touches as a running back and Johnson was limited as well, Warren and Gainwell took what they were offered and made the most of being a one-two punch to Steelers opponents.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ running back group in 2025 was a clear strength of the offense, even if it stopped short of elite league-wide status.

Where the unit fell just short of an “A” was top-end dominance and depth impact. While Warren and Gainwell were productive, the group lacked a true game-changing, takeover presence in critical moments, particularly in short-yardage and goal-line situations. Johnson’s limited rookie contribution also prevented the group from becoming a true three-headed threat.

Overall, the Steelers received strong efficiency, durability, and versatility from the position, stabilized the offense week to week, and avoided major drop-offs. The positional group grade reflects a very good, dependable group with room to become special.