With Steelers training camp just around the corner, we turn our focus to the roster and the battles ahead of us over the summer. Over the next few weeks, we will take a closer look at some of the roster battles that we expect to see unfold during training camp as the Pittsburgh Steelers prepare for the start of the 2026 season.
This year, the Steelers seem to have most of their major battles settled before training camp. Outside of the offensive line, the rest of the starting lineup seems to be in order. There are other contributing roles to sort out, of course, like the third wide receiver. But perhaps more than most recent years, this is more jockeying for roles and depth, and not who is starting.
Position: Running Back
Up for Grabs: Depth
In the Mix: Kaleb Johnson, Eli Heidenreich, Travis Homer
With apologies to Lew Nichols, he may be too far down the Steelers’ depth chart to significantly factor into any of their training camp battles. At least as far as the 53-man roster is concerned, and perhaps even the practice squad. That’s because the team has built some depth at running back, enough to create a dilemma—or at least competition.
The Steelers know they have Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle, but that’s not where the battles will unfold in training camp. They will determine how to distribute reps between the two, and perhaps specific roles. But it’s not a matter of whether one will play and one will not, as far as they are concerned.
With respect to the running back room, the Steelers’ training camp battles will unfold between Kaleb Johnson, Eli Heidenreich, and Travis Homer. Three rather different players with different backgrounds in different points of their career, they each offer something different. Johnson is a young, pedigreed player who had a disappointing rookie season in 2025. Homer is a career special teams player, and that’s how he would make this roster. Heidenreich is an athletic specimen, but his fit in an NFL offense is somewhat of a projection.
What the Steelers have to figure out in training camp is not just whether these battles will determine a winner, but how many winners there will be. Warren and Dowdle are locks to make the roster. But can, say, Johnson and Heidenreich co-exist on the roster as well? Or perhaps Johnson and Homer, strictly in a special teams aspect? Or even Heidenreich and Homer, with both contributing on special teams?
A new Steelers coaching staff will make parsing out the competitions more difficult, too. Gone even is special teams coordinator Danny Smith, replaced by Danny Crossman. He as much as any coach, perhaps, holds sway over the last roster spots. Certainly, if the Steelers keep four running backs, at least two of them will be significant special teams contributors.