Steelers' New RBs Coach Opens Up About Kaleb Johnson's Sophomore Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers don't just have to work with a relatively revamped roster in 2026. The coaching staff is mostly brand new because of Mike McCarthy's arrival following Mike Tomlin's surprising resignation. A lot of faces will be unfamiliar to a lot of people in the fan base, but certain individuals will make their names known depending on the amount of success, or lack thereof, that any of the specific positional groups have. One of those leaders is running backs coach Ramon Chinyoung Sr., who got his start in the NFL back in 2022 when he was a quality control coach with the Denver Broncos.

There will be some familiarity for Chinyoung, as he worked with Rico Dowdle a bit when both were with the Dallas Cowboys. Now, he also gets the chance to have Jaylen Warren and Kaleb Johnson around. This will be a very important group for the team in 2026, as the Steelers are really going to need the running game to be more efficient in order to succeed in the play-action passing attack.

Johnson is the most polarizing figure of the bunch. He is entering his second professional season; however, he did not get much of a chance to prove himself in his rookie campaign. The opportunities might be slim in 2026, as well, due to the fact that Warren and Dowdle are in line to get the majority of time on the offensive side of the ball.

On Wednesday, several positional coaches were made available to the media as the team goes through more voluntary offseason workouts. Chinyoung was asked about Johnson and he praised the ball carrier for taking a step up so far in the offseason. Additionally, Chinyoung mentioned that the second-year player is looking to learn from those ahead of him on the depth chart.

"With Kaleb, the number one thing is just his professionalism. He [has] taken that to another level," Chinyoung said. "He's been doing a great job from his body of work showing up every day, doing the little things, studying, building a relationship with the guys in the room, leaning on Rico and Jaylen; and just making himself as accessible as he possibly can so he can continue to grow."

It's easy to have a rookie year like Johnson did and get down on oneself. It makes it even a little tougher that a new coaching staff is in town. That can sometimes lead to a younger player being removed from long-term plans. That doesn't appear to be the case for Johnson, however, and he should continue to get better as he works with Chinyoung and the two backs who will be getting most of the work when meaningful football begins.

When Kenneth Gainwell left to sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, reports came through the same day that the Steelers would be signing Dowdle. It shouldn't have come as a shock because of the McCarthy connection, but it has to be disappointing for Johnson, who was potentially looking to serve as the top backup right behind Warren.

One thing remains certain, and that is the fact that Johnson is going to need to continue to prove himself moving forward. He doesn't haven't have the pedigree to let up at any point throughout the summertime and into the regular season. If he wants to receive any kind of body of work, he will need to make a very strong impression on Chinyoung and McCarthy.

Steelers Seem Very Content With Current Running Back Room

It seems as if the ball carriers in Pittsburgh are working well together. Some positions may be viewed as a bit rocky, but not the trio that current exists of Dowdle, Warren and Johnson. It would be a shame for the 2025 third-rounder to not get a ton of chances in 2026; however, that's simply the nature of the business, especially if one doesn't prove himself in his rookie campaign.

#SteelerNation