Steelers Rookie RB Kaleb Johnson Takes Pride in Being Workout Freak: ‘Every Day, Man’
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Kaleb Johnson takes a lot of pride in being a workout freak off the field.
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers will likely rely on 2025 third-round pick Kaleb Johnson early on in his first year after losing Najee Harris in free agency. Luckily, the rookie running back takes a lot of pride improving himself off the field, first and foremost.
“Every day, man,” Johnson said when asked about his workout regiment. “The day before I came here, I ran like three or four miles on the treadmill and lifted and worked my butt off that following day, and now I’m here. This is the thing I’ve been wanting to do, so I’m chasing.”
It’s easy to tell Johnson puts a lot of work into his body. He has a massive frame, standing at 6-foot-1, 224 pounds, and the production on the field to back it up.
In 2024, Johnson had a breakout season, rushing for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns while averaging 6.4 yards per carry. He also recorded 22 catches for 188 yards and two more scores.
In fact, Johnson’s final year at Iowa was so dominant that opposing defenses knew what was coming and still couldn’t stop him.
“I feel like that was the thing, we didn’t care,” Johnson said. “They knew I was gonna get the ball, but they had to stop it, and they couldn’t stop it. So we just kept doing it.”
The run-first minded Steelers are hoping he can have similar success at the next level in offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s wide-zone run scheme, which he seems to be a perfect fit for.
Smith couldn’t help but rave about Johnson’s ability to get better as the game progressed, too.
“One of the more impressive stats you’ve seen in the fourth quarter — what he averaged in the fourth quarter. I believe it was over five yards per carry,” Smith said. “Might have been closer to six. We think he’s a great culture fit. Obviously extremely fired up to get Kaleb in here.”
If Johnson is bringing his workout freak mindset to Pittsburgh, he’ll have a good chance to continue that success in the NFL.