PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kaleb Johnson’s mental lapse in Pittsburgh’s loss to Seattle has temporarily cost the rookie his job returning kicks.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday that Johnson is off the kick-return team in the short term after the third-round draft pick opted not to chase after a live ball that bounced over his head early in the fourth quarter against the Seahawks.
Seattle’s George Holani chased it down and fell on it just before it rolled over the end line for a gift touchdown that propelled the Seahawks to a 31-17 victory and just as quickly as it appeared.
“I’m certainly going to give him an opportunity to work his way back from that error,” Tomlin said. “I believe in his talent. He’s a sharp young man. He is a hard worker. So you leave the light on for him. You give him an opportunity to move on from it, but he has to do that.”
Johnson returned kicks briefly early in his career at Iowa before becoming the Hawkeyes starting running back. The Steelers selected him 83rd overall in the draft, enamored with his size (6-foot-1, 225 pounds) and ability to create what Tomlin described as NFL-quality runs against defenses stacked to stop him.
While Johnson has yet to crack the running back rotation led by Jaylen Warren and Kenny Gainwell, Pittsburgh hoped his vision would help him be effective on special teams. The early returns have been OK if not spectacular. Johnson was averaging 23.9 yards per return before his gaffe, believed to be the first kickoff recovery in the end zone for a score in 45 years.
“You’ve got to man up,” Tomlin said. “You’ve got to acknowledge your shortcomings, and then you’ve got to work to move beyond it. And it’s my job as a leader to provide that opportunity.”
Tomlin declined to specify who would take over Johnson’s spot. He was benched immediately in the game, with Jaylen Warren lining up deep next to Gainwell on the ensuing kickoff after Seattle’s recovery. It seems unlikely that Warren — who returned kicks earlier in his career — is a long-term solution given his increased workload as Pittsburgh’s starting running back.
The Steelers (1-1) will try to regroup on the road next week at New England (1-1) with a defense that has been hit hard by injuries. Rookie defensive lineman Derrick Harmon is expected to miss his third straight game with a sprained knee. Safety DeShon Elliott is likely to miss a second consecutive contest with his own knee issue and outside linebacker Alex Highsmith is out with an ankle injury.
There’s a chance cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (hamstring) could return after sitting out against Seattle. Darius Slay (shoulder) and linebacker Patrick Queen (oblique) are expected to play.
The spate of injuries to a veteran group is one of the reasons a defense that began the year with lofty expectations has struggled. Pittsburgh is 29th in yards allowed and points allowed and has just three sacks through two games.
“We’ve got to be better,” Tomlin said. “We got to strategize better. We’ve got a play better. We got to divide the labor up a little better. Some of that’s been challenging with some of the attrition, but that’s what we’re paid to do and I’m excited about addressing it this week.”
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