What Mike Tomlin Wants To See From Steelers Rookie This Preseason

Mike Tomlin will give a Pittsburgh Steelers rookie another opportunity to make a preseason splash.

The Steelers head coach revealed Thursday that most starters who sat out their exhibition opener also won’t play in Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That includes running back Jaylen Warren, giving Kaleb Johnson an opening for more reps.

Johnson had a tepid debut, turning eight handoffs into 20 carries during a 31-25 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tomlin detailed the progress he’d like the third-rounder to make in the upcoming game, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.

“I want to see him trust himself more,” Tomlin said. “I want to see him play more instinctually, trust his talents. That’s reasonable to expect between the first experience and the second experience.”

Pittsburgh made Johnson the No. 83 pick in this year’s draft after he scored 23 touchdowns at Iowa last season. The All-American averaged 6.4 yards per carry as a junior, but he didn’t find much open space during his NFL debut.

Johnson didn’t break off a run longer than seven yards last weekend. While Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson shredded Jacksonville’s defense, the first-year back added just one six-yard reception.

The newcomer could nevertheless play a key role in Pittsburgh’s new-look offense this season. Johnson joins the returning Warren in a backfield that lost Najee Harris, who exceeded 1,000 rushing yards and 250 carries in each of his four seasons with the Steelers.

Johnson has a chance to make an instant impact alongside Aaron Rodgers for a team with aspirations of a deep playoff run. The Steelers host the Buccaneers Saturday at 7 p.m. ET.

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