PITTSBURGH —Drafting a pure return specialist in the fourth round is an expensive luxury, even with the NFL's dynamic kickoff rules radically reshaping the value of field position. By taking Iowa 's Kaden Wetjen at No. 121, the Pittsburgh Steelers made it clear they expect an instant spark on special teams. The logic is sound: Wetjen is a human joystick with six collegiate return touchdowns and two Jet Awards on his mantle. But in today's NFL, active roster spots are a premium commodity, and Wetjen enters his rookie training camp under immediate pressure to prove he can offer real utility on scrimmage downs.
History is littered with track-speed returners who flamed out because they couldn't run a crisp route on third-and-short. At Iowa, Wetjen was an afterthought in the traditional passing game, catching just 23 passes over his career. If he wants to be active on Sundays and justify his $5.50 million rookie contract, he has to show new offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio that his vision translates to the offense.
Fortunately, the rookie isn't hiding from the challenge. When asked about his conversations with the front office during the draft process, Wetjen revealed a willingness to be a multi-tool weapon.
"I told them I had a background with running backs, so maybe getting mixed in there and some different packages out of the backfield. That's up to the coaches, but we talked about everything, and I'm super comfortable with whatever, and hopefully they're playing on doing that," Wetjen said.
If Wetjen can handle jet sweeps, pop passes, and occasional snaps out of the backfield, he becomes a headache for opposing defensive coordinators. If he can't, he risks becoming a one-dimensional specialist fighting an uphill battle for playing time. Wetjen has the elite traits to be a true modern gadget threat; now he just has to go out and prove it.
Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Kaden Wetjen (21) returns a punt to the endzone against the Michigan State Spartans on Nov. 22, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. — Julia Hanse / Imagn ImagesCredit: Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Acquired: The Steelers selected Wetjen in the fourth round (121st overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft out of Iowa. He signed a standard four-year rookie contract on May 8, 2026, totaling approximately $5.5 million with a projected $1,126,916 signing bonus, locking him in through the 2029 season with an initial 2026 cap hit of roughly $1,166,729. Under the current rookie wage scale, the deal is fully slotted and non-negotiable. Brought in by special teams coordinator Danny Crossman to exploit the NFL's dynamic kickoff rules, the two-time Jet Award winner and consensus All-American brings elite return value—boasting six career return touchdowns at Iowa—offsetting his developmental status as a depth slot receiver.
Last Year:Wetjen put together an historic, dominant senior campaign in 2025, serving as the crown jewel of Iowa's special teams and earning consensus first-team All-American honors. He led the nation in combined return yards (965) and took home his second consecutive Rodgers-Dwight Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year award, becoming the first two-time recipient in conference history. Wetjen was a true human highlight reel, setting an Iowa single-season record with 563 punt return yards while becoming the only player in the country to score via both a punt and kickoff return in 2025.
Nov 28, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Kaden Wetjen (21) warms up before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
Wetjen's path to the NFL is defined by a remarkable ascent from the junior college ranks to the absolute pinnacle of major college special teams. He began his collegiate career at Iowa Western Community College (2020–2021), where he racked up 1,323 all-purpose yards and seven total touchdowns, showcasing his explosive potential early on. Choosing to bet on himself, Wetjen passed up smaller-school scholarship offers to walk on at Iowa in 2022. After spending a redshirt year grinding on the scout team, he burst into the rotation in 2023, eventually exploding into a national superstar over the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
By the time he graduated, Wetjen had finally been placed on full scholarship and rewritten the Hawkeyes' record books. Over 40 games at Iowa, he broke the legendary Tim Dwight's school record by returning six total touchdowns to the house (four punts, two kickoffs), while setting the single-season school record for punt return yards (563 in 2025).
His historic 17.7-yard career punt return average ranks first in modern Big Ten history, and he stands as the only player in Iowa football history to score a rushing, receiving, punt return, and kickoff return touchdown in the exact same season. His unprecedented dominance earned him two consecutive Jet Awards as the nation's top return specialist alongside consensus first-team All-American honors.
| Year |
Team |
GP |
GS |
REC |
YDS |
TDS |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
Iowa |
13 |
7 |
20 |
151 |
1 |
61.1 |
| 2024 |
Iowa |
13 |
1 |
3 |
46 |
0 |
57.6 |
| 2023 |
Iowa |
14 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
52.4 |
| 2022 |
Iowa* |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
N/A |
| 2021 |
Iowa Western |
11 |
N/A |
18 |
304 |
1 |
N/A |
| 2020 |
Iowa Western |
7 |
N/A |
4 |
144 |
2 |
N/A |
Receiving Statistics – * Redshirt Season
| Year |
Team |
GP |
RET |
YDS |
Y/RET |
KRTD |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
Iowa |
13 |
16 |
476 |
29.8 |
1 |
65.0 |
| 2024 |
Iowa |
13 |
26 |
727 |
28.0 |
1 |
71.8 |
| 2023 |
Iowa |
14 |
14 |
335 |
23.9 |
0 |
57.4 |
| 2022 |
Iowa* |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
N/A |
| 2021 |
Iowa Western |
11 |
7 |
129 |
18.4 |
0 |
N/A |
| 2020 |
Iowa Western |
7 |
3 |
72 |
24.0 |
0 |
N/A |
Kick Return Statistics – * Redshirt Season
| Year |
Team |
GP |
RET |
YDS |
Y/RET |
PRTD |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
Iowa |
13 |
21 |
563 |
26.8 |
3 |
95.4 |
| 2024 |
Iowa |
13 |
26 |
328 |
12.6 |
1 |
77.4 |
| 2023 |
Iowa |
14 |
7 |
63 |
9.0 |
0 |
61.6 |
| 2022 |
Iowa* |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
N/A |
| 2021 |
Iowa Western |
11 |
31 |
459 |
14.8 |
2 |
N/A |
| 2020 |
Iowa Western |
7 |
26 |
416 |
16.0 |
2 |
N/A |
Punt Return Statistics – *Redshirt Season
Kaden Wetjen had a 6.03 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) out of 10.
Wetjen is locked into a four-year, $5.50 million rookie contract through the 2029 season after signing his slotted rookie deal on May 8, 2026. The contract features an exact $1,126,916 signing bonus, which prorates across the lifetime of the deal at a highly manageable $275,000 annually. For the upcoming 2026 season, Wetjen will account for a modest $1,166,729 against the salary cap —combining his $900,000 rookie base salary with his first year of bonus proration. Because his contract is fully dictated by the NFL's rookie wage scale for the 121st overall selection, it offers the Steelers cost-controlled, premium special teams value without requiring tricky future restructuring, making him an incredibly cheap, high-upside asset on the active 53-man roster.
The elusiveness and vertical acceleration Wetjen shows on film makes total sense when you look at his high school track profile at Williamsburg High. He was an Iowa state champion in the relay events and holds blistering personal bests of 11.06 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 22.00 seconds flat in the 200-meter dash.
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh .
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Will Kaden Wetjen Prove He's More Than Just a Returner?
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