Who Should I Start? Jaleel McLaughlin or Kaleb Johnson

Friday, February 27, 10:31 AM

The Denver Broncos are not tendering running back Jaleel McLaughlin, a source told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. McLaughlin will hit the open market as a free agent next month, although it's believed that the Broncos would be interested in bringing him back for backfield depth. The 25-year-old former undrafted free agent combined for 189 carries, 906 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns in 33 regular-season games over the first two years of his career in Denver, adding 55 catches for 236 yards and four more touchdowns as a receiver. He only played in eight games in 2025, though, and had a career-low 37 rushing attempts for 187 yards and one touchdown, adding four catches for 27 yards. The Broncos will most likely add to their RB room alongside RJ Harvey this offseason, either through the draft or free agency, but McLaughlin won't be a priority.

Friday, February 13, 7:42 AM

A third-round selection out of the University of Iowa in the 2025 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson appeared to have an opportunity to play a significant role in his team's backfield as a rookie. Instead, the 22-year-old spent the 2025 season buried on the Steelers' depth chart and barely got a chance to take the field. Across 10 games played, Johnson recorded just 78 yards from scrimmage on 29 touches. Veteran Pittsburgh running backs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell dominated the team's backfield work throughout the year, as each back topped 180 touches and 1,000 yards from scrimmage. Gainwell is set to hit unrestricted free agency this spring, which could eliminate one obstacle from Johnson's pathway to playing time. However, even if the Steelers do not bring Gainwell back, Johnson did little as a rookie to convince Pittsburgh that it should not bring in another veteran to complement Warren in 2026. Johnson is still very young, and he could work his way back into the team's plans with a full offseason of development. However, his fantasy stock in dynasty formats has taken a major hit after his underwhelming rookie campaign.