Who Should I Start? Kaleb Johnson or Riley Nowakowski

Friday, July 31, 7:11 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kaleb Johnson earned a third-down rep with the first-team offense on Friday, as pointed out by Steelers beat writer Nick Farabaugh. Friday's session was a low-intensity walk-through, so Johnson's work with the starting offense carries less signal than it might in a full-padded practice, but his dynasty managers will surely welcome any signs of momentum gained. Johnson was a third-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft but disappointed as a rookie with only 69 rushing yards on 28 carries. He now looks for a clean slate with a brand new coaching staff, and while he remains firmly behind Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle on the depth chart, his presence in a situational third-down role should be viewed with encouragement in a Steelers offense likely to continue featuring its backs in the passing game. Johnson is outside RotoBaller's top 300 players for 2026 and has fallen to RB57 in the latest dynasty rankings.