Kenneth Gainwell can hardly call himself underrated anymore. Now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the running back led the Pittsburgh Steelers in receptions last year while splitting carries in the backfield.
In an Instagram post he uploaded in March, on the same day free agency began, Gainwell wrote "the future you is depending on the current day you to keep the promises you made to yourself yesterday." A year before, the Memphis product had to get out from under Saquon Barkley's shadow in Philadelphia to prove himself in black and gold on a one-year deal.
He parlayed the prove-it campaign in the Steel City to end up where he wanted to be in the first place, saying, "I wanted to be here last year. ... It was a great opportunity for me back in the South where I am from and just come here."
Of course that factors into why he left the Steelers, but if they could've kept him in the fold, should they have?
Why was Kenneth Gainwell so valuable to the Steelers?
After Gainwell was named the Steelers' team MVP in January, receiver Calvin Austin III talked about his impact. The two played together in college, too, before parting ways again this offseason. (Austin signed with John Harbaugh's New York Giants.)
“He’s just provided nothing but spark and consistency,” Austin III said. “What he can do on a football field isn’t a secret anymore. Not that it has been, but I feel like I’ve always been saying from the beginning that he’s one of the best football players I’ve ever played with. It’s just cool that the world can see.”
The Steelers replaced Gainwell, who had 1,656 all-purpose yards a go-round ago, with Rico Dowdle, who reunites with Mike McCarthy after playing for him with the Dallas Cowboys from 2020-24. Jaylen Warren will remain the top dog in Pittsburgh's backfield, but it might have made for a smoother transition if the Steelers had made sure Gainwell — who grew close with Warren — stuck around.
Behind Warren and Dowdle, the Steelers' running back room isn't cemented. They also added veteran Travis Homer, making it an uphill climb for Kaleb Johnson, a third-round pick in 2025. Johnson was only granted a handful of snaps in the team's preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers, while Lew Nichols and hometown kid Eli Heidenreich are also trying to earn a locker.
On Wednesday, McCarthy discussed what Johnson's role might look like in the Steelers' second preseason game, at home against the New York Jets on Friday.
"If the guy calling the plays would run the ball more, I think it'd help him out," McCarthy said, obviously joking being that he runs the show. "So, we'll just continue to work that way. But yeah, I mean, he'll play."
It's not only running the ball, though. The Steelers probably want to see how he does in pass protection and with catching the ball, both of which Johnson said he wants to improve on.
It's up to McCarthy how much of a chance he gets to show his stuff.
What impact is Kenneth Gainwell making with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
Gainwell hasn't wasted any time catching his new teammates' attention in the Sunshine State, either. Quarterback Baker Mayfield heaped praise on him on Tuesday, detailing the versatility that the sixth-year professional brings to the table.
"He's much more than a gadget guy," Mayfield said. "I've just been completely overwhelmed with the amount of talent that he has. I didn't know until later in the spring — more toward minicamp — that he was a receiver going into college. He was a slot receiver at Memphis. It explains why he's so fluid running route, and just his run game. He stays true to his tracks, he reads his blocks really, really well. I've thought he's been a huge addition for us, just having a spark, getting Bucky a spell.
"KG is another guy who's a veteran presence, a leader, a guy that leads by example."
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