The Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars met for a preseason contest on Saturday, and Steelers rookie running back Kaleb Johnson made his highly-anticipated debut.
Johnson was a third-round pick in April's draft and is expected to be Pittsburgh's replacement for Najee Harris, who left for the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency this offseason.
During his three-year college career at Iowa State, Johnson tallied 2,779 rushing yards and 30 rushing touchdowns. The 21-year-old's best campaign came in 2024, where he posted 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Though Johnson has a ton of promise as a workhorse back in the NFL, his preseason debut fell flat.
Kaleb Johnson stats in preseason Week 1
| Carries | 8 |
| Rushing yards | 20 |
| Yards per attempt | 2.5 |
| Longest rush | 7 |
| Receptions | 1 |
| Receiving yards | 6 |
| Targets | 2 |
Johnson couldn't find much room to run on Saturday. The rookie did have a highlight play, as Johnson stiff-armed Jaguars first-round pick Travis Hunter in the second quarter for a first-down rush.
Other than that, it was a quiet night for Johnson.
There shouldn't be any panic regarding Johnson. The third-round selection still has a ton of opportunities in the preseason to produce and get used to playing against an NFL defense.
MORE PITTSBURGH STEELERS NEWS
Cam Heyward contract drama, explained: Latest update on Steelers star's hold-in
Will Howard injury update: Latest news on Steelers quarterback's finger issue