GREEN BAY, Wis. — Sunday’s roster cuts aren’t all about who’s going out the door—it’s about who’s coming in, too.
The Green Bay Packers are bringing aboard running back Kaleb Johnson, a former third-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s the second trade of the day for the Packers, who sent No. 3 quarterback Kyle McCord to the Miami Dolphins for a 2028 sixth-round selection. The sixth-round pick that the Packers already owned beforehand is what’s being sent to Pittsburgh.
Running back Pierre Strong Jr. was released as the corresponding roster move, leaving the Packers with Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks, and Johnson in their stable.
It’s been no secret that the running back room in Green Bay is in a state of flux. Jacobs, who headlines the depth chart, was formally charged with a pair of misdemeanors for a May 23 domestic incident involving his girlfriend. The Packers are cooperating with the league while the investigation continues to unfold, but there’s a chance that Jacobs will draw punishment for violating the Personal Conduct Policy. If that’s the case, he could be facing a multi-game suspension, but it’s unclear when the matter will be resolved.
General manager Brian Gutekunst said last week that the Packers are prepared for a scenario where Jacobs is suspended. Even if he isn’t, they needed to add depth behind him. Lloyd has showcased a dynamic skill set when he’s been on the field, but those opportunities have been scarce during his first two years in the league. He did make it through training camp and all three of the Packers’ preseason games—he didn’t play in the Aug. 28 finale against the Arizona Cardinals—unscathed, so optimism is high.
Brooks, meanwhile, is the Packers’ third-down tailback whose forte is pass protection. He isn’t necessarily someone they’ll be able to rely on for an extensive workload.
Enter Johnson, who has fallen out of favor in Pittsburgh. He rushed just 28 times for 68 yards as a rookie while playing behind Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell. With Gainwell departing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the spring, Johnson appeared as if he were in line for more playing time entering his sophomore campaign, but that wasn’t going to be the case.
The Steelers signed Rico Dowdle in free agency after his lone season with the Carolina Panthers, pairing him with Waddle. They also signed Travis Homer to round out the room, leaving Johnson on the outside looking in.
The 6’1”, 224-pound Iowa product played in all three preseason games for the Steelers this summer, including Aug. 13 against the Packers when he rushed twice for a measly three yards. Over the next two weeks, he had 17 touches for 65 yards from scrimmage.
Johnson, 23, rushed for 1,242 yards and nine touchdowns during his freshman and sophomore seasons for the Hawkeyes. He took a brief backseat to Leshon Williams in 2023 before regaining the reins in his final season for the program. In 2024, Johnson averaged a single-season high 6.4 yards per carry while rushing for 1,537 yards and 21 touchdowns, adding another 22 receptions for 188 yards and two more touchdowns. His standout performance as a junior earned Johnson First-team All-Big Ten honors, and he was named Big Ten Running Back of the Year.
With Johnson in the mix, the Packers will presumably carry four running backs into their Sept. 13 opener against the Minnesota Vikings.