Overview

• Mike Tomlin said Johnson will "probably" not return kicks in the short term and must earn back the role through his daily work.
• Johnson let a kickoff that bounced in the landing zone roll into the end zone under the NFL’s new rules, allowing Seattle’s George Holani to recover for a touchdown in a 31-17 loss.
• Tomlin said he has not begun to address replacements; Kenneth Gainwell handled the next kickoff in-game, and options mentioned include practice-squad back Trey Sermon and receiver Roman Wilson.
• Johnson acknowledged the error, saying he "just made a mistake," and through two games he has two carries for minus-1 yard and eight kickoff returns for 190 yards.
• Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suggested on his podcast that Johnson might not see much playing time this season, framing it as his opinion rather than a team decision.