Steelers' Mike Tomlin benches rookie Kaleb Johnson from kick returner role for 'short term'

Kaleb Johnson will be given another chance to return kickoffs for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Someday.

Just not this week against the New England Patriots.

Two days after Johnson’s mental mistake resulted in a touchdown for the Seattle Seahawks that contributed to a 31-17 loss, coach Mike Tomlin said he is removing the rookie running back from a return role.

When might Johnson resume returning kicks?

“Probably not in the short term,” Tomlin said Tuesday at his weekly press conference. “I’m certainly going to give him an opportunity to work his way back from that error. I believe in his talent. He’s a sharp young man. He’s a hard worker. You leave the light on for him to give him an opportunity to move on from it, but he has to do that.

“He has to display that with his daily work. He has to earn himself back in a position to be a participant. We’ll see where the road leads us.”

Related:

• An in-depth examination of Sunday's kickoff gaffe
• Tim Benz's Madden Monday: 'I would have cut Kaleb Johnson before he got to the sideline'
• Injuries, mistakes plague Steelers in loss to Seahawks

Johnson didn’t field the kickoff that came after the Seahawks took a 17-14 lead with 12 minutes, 46 seconds remaining in the game. The ball bounced over Johnson’s head and into the end zone. Johnson failed to retrieve the ball, and Seattle’s George Holani recovered it at the back of the end zone for a touchdown that gave the Seahawks a 10-point lead.

Johnson may have been confused by the NFL rule that states any kickoff that hits inside the landing zone — the area from the goal line to the 20 — must be covered even if it continues into the end zone. In college, such a kickoff becomes an automatic touchback, and the ball is placed at the 25-yard-line.

“You have to man up,” Tomlin said. “You have to acknowledge your shortcomings, and you have to work to move beyond it. It’s my job as a leader to provide that opportunity.”

Johnson had limited return experience at Iowa. He had 13 attempts as a freshman, two as a sophomore and none as a junior in 2024. The Steelers selected him in the third round of the draft to help fill Najee Harris’ departure to the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency.

Playing time has been elusive for Johnson, who remains third on the depth chart behind Jaylen Warren and Kenny Gainwell. He has two carries and has played four offensive snaps through two weeks.

Tomlin has to navigate keeping Johnson engaged while being a limited part of the offense and being benched as a returner.

“I don’t think you get to the National Football League without having faced some adversity as a player and responding appropriately,” he said. “He’s a young guy, and I’m going to watch him closely. I expect him to rebound. I expect him to roll up his sleeves and go to work and wait for his next opportunity.”

Tomlin said it was too early to discuss the candidates to replace Johnson, although Gainwell is the logical choice. Gainwell has served as the secondary returner on kickoffs. Gainwell has returned two kickoffs this season, averaging 26.5 yards. Johnson has eight returns, averaging 23.8 yards.

The dynamic kickoff return was implemented last season to increase the number of kickoff returns and to make the play safer. For the Steelers, the change was negligible. After having 20 kickoff returns in 2023, the Steelers totaled 25 last year.

The dynamic return rule was tweaked in the offseason to promote more frequent returns. The biggest change was moving the spot of the touchback from the 30-yard line to the 35 on any ball that goes out of the end zone or is downed in the end zone. As a result, the Steelers have 10 returns through two games — 40% of their total from last season.

That has led to a strategic shift for kicking teams. Kickers are placing the ball short of the goal line because any ball that hits inside the landing zone and is downed in the end zone results in a touchback at the 20.

Seattle kicker Jason Myers perfectly placed his kickoff in the fourth quarter inside the landing zone, and the Seahawks benefited from the ball skipping over Johnson’s head.

“That special teams space, the newness of the dynamic kickoff, the adjustments being made … I’m looking at a lot of global tape,” Tomlin said. “How they are deploying people, the sizes (of players) are changing in that space because of the (limited) vertical grass that is covered. A lot of things are taking place.”

Seattle was awarded the touchdown immediately by the official positioned in the back of the end zone even though Holani rolled out of bounds after touching the ball. Tomlin said he did not question whether the call was correct, and he didn’t seek clarification on the ruling.

“They ruled it a touchdown on the field, and that provided an opportunity for it to be reviewed,” he said. “I assume they did that, and so I moved on.”