Steelers Now
It wasn’t the sole reason for Sunday’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back Kaleb Johnson’s crucial mishap on a kickoff return in the fourth quarter was a game-altering play.
Former Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon thinks the rookie needs to sit for a game because of it.
“For me personally, knowing that he’s not a big piece of the offense, he would sit next week. He would be inactive, and we’ll get guys back there that know the rules, that understand the rules, that understand how to play this game because it’s a game of inches,“ Carthon said on CBS Sports.
The Steelers only have three running backs on their 53-man roster, so Johnson being inactive seems very unlikely. Now, it’s pretty much certain he will not be returning kickoffs against New England on Sunday. That probably won’t happen for the rest of the season.
The kickoff landed at the 10-yard line and roll into the end zone. Rather than retreat to down it for a touchback, Johnson headed toward his sideline, appearing to believe he wasn’t required to retrieve it.
The Seahawks’ George Holani pounced on the ball for a touchdown that gave the visitors a 10-point edge with 12:46 to go.
“It’s poor judgment by a young player,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said afterward about Johnson’s gaffe.
Johnson is not the first Steelers player to not know the rule. Barry Foster made the same mistake in a game against the San Francisco 49ers in 1990, which also resulted in a touchdown and loss. Ryan Switzer also failed to receive a free kick against the Cleveland Browns in 2018.
Switzer admitted after the game that he did not know the Browns could recover the free kick.
“With the new kickoff rules, if it lands in the landing zone — whether you touch it or not — and it rolls into the end zone, you have to down it,” said Steelers safety Jabrill Peppers, the only player in black and gold who was chasing the ball as it rocked to a stop in the grass.
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers backed Johnson after the game.
“Kaleb’s a great kid and this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league. When you have success early on, you have to learn how to handle success,” Rodgers said. “And when you deal with adversity, you have to learn how to deal with adversity the right way. You can’t let this get your confidence down, can’t hang your head. This is a professional league, and we expect greatness, but we also understand there’s gonna be mistakes and they happen. We’re human and you gotta move on and get better. They’re gonna love you when you’re riding high. They’re gonna try and crush you when you get beat. Can’t let it crush you, crush your spirits. Keep your confidence.”
Brendan Howe provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Ex-NFL GM Thinks Steelers Should Bench Kaleb Johnson vs. Patriots
