Pittsburgh Steelers Already Expected to Lose 1,000-Yard Weapon
The Pittsburgh Steelers will probably lose this key weapon during the NFL offseason.
Video Transcript
So the Steelers offense was definitely not great in 2025, ranking 25th in the NFL in yards per game.
And now they actually might lose one of their top weapons from the season as running back Kenneth Gainwell is expected to test the free agent market and probably get a deal that is worth more than the Steelers are willing to pay him, according to Jerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Now, Gainwell had 1,023 yards from scrimmage this past year as both a rusher and receiver, with over 500 yards rushing and also caught 73 passes as a pass catcher out of the backfield.
Definitely a versatile weapon for Pittsburgh, and was their complimentary back to Jalen Warren, who was their featured back, but definitely a major weapon for Aaron Rodgers.
And as soon as Rodgers comes back next year, they're gonna need to find someone else to replace Gainwell, because again, those 73 receptions, that's critical for the Steelers offense as a, as a checkdown option, as an option on screen passes.
They'll need to find somebody else who can do that.
Now, Warren could catch passes out of the backfield himself.
He's not a bad receiver, but Gainwell is very, very unique in that regard.
Maybe they try it with Caleb Johnson next year.
They give him a shot maybe, even though he was benched for the most part this year after that, that special teams blunder at the beginning of the season.
But they also may try to draft another running back this April, or possibly sign a cheaper option in free agency.
We also can't rule out the possibility that the Steelers and Gainwell do come together and come to terms on a new deal, so we'll see what happens.
