Steelers encouraged to cut ties with player with Aaron Rodgers history

Aaron Rodgers is back with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and one of the reasons he returned is that the franchise beefed up its offense.

Rodgers wasn't going to come back for nothing. He knew that if he wanted to compete and get back to the big game, he'd need some better pieces around him. So, the Steelers inked running back Rico Dowdle to a two-year deal. They drafted wide receiver Germie Bernard. They also added depth with offensive lineman Brock Hoffman.

That's all good, but now, the Steelers may have a bit of a surplus. If they can't use all of their offensive pieces, they might as well trade one. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report is encouraging the Steelers to trade running back Kaleb Johnson. The team drafted him back in 2025 in the third round of the draft.

Steelers urged to make running back trade ahead of new season in 2026

"Despite being a third-round draft selection, running back Kaleb Johnson didn't play a substantial role for the Pittsburgh Steelers as a rookie last season," Knox notes. "Though he appeared in 10 games, he saw just 51 offensive snaps and 11 special-teams reps."

This could be the season for Johnson. But he likely won't get the time because he'll fall behind Jaylen Warren and Dowdle on the depth chart.

There's also that moment Steelers fans remember oh-so well last offseason, when sideline reporters saw Rodgers chewing out Johnson, who ran the wrong route in practice. It happened on the last day of training camp.

"The Steelers should consider featuring Johnson a bit in the preseason before making him available to teams desperate for backfield depth," Knox adds. "They can't expect to get back what they've invested in the Iowa product, but they could at least recoup some draft capital."

It's also worth noting that the Steelers would save $1.1 million in cap space if they traded Johnson. That's not a huge figure, but it's something.