It's easy to forget that Mike McCarthy is now the Pittsburgh Steelers' head coach. Hired to replace Mike Tomlin, who stepped down after the 2025 season, McCarthy only had to wait one season to land another job after he was let go by the Dallas Cowboys.
McCarthy doesn't harbor any animosity for the Joneses, speaking glowingly about the franchise at every turn following his departure.
Even though McCarthy is back home in Pittsburgh, he could do his former team a solid by cutting out-of-favor running back Kaleb Johnson, who's been working behind Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren as the Steelers prepare for the new season.
It seems that, no matter how well Johnson performs in training camp, he's battling for the RB3 job. Here's what Brian Batko of PittsburghSteelers.com had to say about the second-year back.
"Kaleb Johnson is working while he waits in the wings, only a year removed from the Steelers using a third-round draft pick on him. Johnson will compete with veterans Travis Homer, a special teams ace, and Lew Nichols, a 2025 preseason stud for the Steelers, as well as rookie seventh-rounder Eli Heidenreich."
Translation: Johnson is on the roster bubble.
Cowboys should pay attention to Kaleb Johnson's status with the Steelers
Though Johnson was a third-round pick just a year ago, it wouldn't be unheard of if the Steelers move on after one season. The loss of Kenneth Gainwell in free agency opened a window for Johnson, but it shut almost immediately after Pittsburgh signed Rico Dowdle.
Aaron Rodgers loves having Warren on the field as a check-down option, while Dowdle enjoyed his most efficient season under McCarthy in 2024. As talented as Johnson is, he's unlikely to leapfrog either veteran without forcing the issue.
It was a bit head-scratching when the Steelers drafted Johnson. Now, he has to prove himself to a coach who didn't draft him. Pittsburgh's crowded backfield could ultimately work in Dallas' favor if McCarthy decides the former Iowa star is expendable.
Assuming a potential cut doesn't happen until August, that would give Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah plenty of time to prove they deserve the RB2 job. If they fail to capitalize on that opportunity and Johnson is available, the Cowboys should be all over it.
The 23-year-old hasn't panned out in Pittsburgh, but he was one of the most highly regarded running backs in the 2024 class. Evaluators raved about his patience and contact balance after he piled up 1,060 yards after contact during his final season for the Hawkeyes.
You'd struggle to find a draft junkie who didn't love Johnson's Iowa film. The Cowboys have shown a willingness to take chances on highly touted former draft picks, and the running back room behind Javonte Williams is full of question marks. If Johnson shakes free, Dallas should be interested.
Come on, Mike, do us one more solid.
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