Who Should I Start? Gary Brightwell or Kaleb Johnson

Wednesday, July 15, 10:58 AM

After being selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson's rookie season was a major disappointment. Johnson spent the entire year as the Steelers' RB3, recording 78 scrimmage yards on 29 touches across 10 games. Entering 2026, Johnson once again projects to open the year third on Pittsburgh's running back depth chart, behind veteran backs Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle. However, the Steelers have a new coaching staff in place with Mike McCarthy replacing Mike Tomlin, which could provide Johnson with the clean slate he needs to get his NFL career back on track. The 23-year-old demonstrated a three-down skill set during his college career at the University of Iowa, recording 1,725 yards from scrimmage and 23 touchdowns across 12 games for the Hawkeyes in 2024. With his value at a low point, rebuilding dynasty managers may want to look to buy low on Johnson.