Was Brutal Mistake End of Steelers Rookie's Season?

As a result, the Seahawks pounced on the ball and scored a touchdown to put them up 24-14 with just under 13 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. They'd ultimately go on to defeat Pittsburgh by a score of 31-17.

Johnson also fumbled on one of his five kick returns against the New York Jets in Week 1, though it didn't end up coming back to haunt him since the Steelers recovered the ball.

The 22-year-old has run into some troubles as he's transitioned to the NFL, which is more or less to be expected from most rookies. His role on offense has essentially been non-existent while Jaylen Warren has impressed as the lead back while Kenneth Gainwell has been more involved than initially expected, and considering he's failed to make an impact when he's gotten on the field coupled with his special teams struggles, things aren't boding well for him.

His error in Week 2 will certainly be a teaching moment moving forward, but the correct decision for the Steelers is to strip him of his kick return duties in favor of Gainwell for the time being.

Whether it was a lapse in judgement or simply not understanding the rules, Johnson is far from a finished product as a returner. That's not to say he won't eventually round into form and become a major asset in that facet of the game for Pittsburgh, but he simply isn't at that level yet.

In an ideal world, the Steelers would keep handing him game reps in some capacity as to not stunt his development. With Warren performing well while Johnson has yet to flash his potential, though, there may not be an avenue towards playing time for the third-rounder either on offense or as a returner, meaning temporarily benching him may be the way to go.