Kaleb Johnson trade grades: Packers gain Josh Jacobs insurance by acquiring former Steelers RB

Key Points:

• The Green Bay Packers have acquired running back Kaleb Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round draft pick, confirmed by Johnson and reported by ESPN and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Johnson, a 2025 third-round pick out of Iowa and former Big Ten Running Back of the Year, struggled in his rookie NFL season with limited production and a special teams error that hindered his progress.
• The Steelers, under new head coach Mike McCarthy, have prioritized other running backs like Jayen Warren and newly signed Rico Dowdle, making Johnson expendable and prompting the trade.
• The Packers, facing uncertainty in their backfield due to starter Josh Jacobs being placed on the commissioner's exempt list amid legal issues, view Johnson as a low-cost, high-upside option to bolster depth.
• Analysts grade the trade as a B+ for Green Bay due to Johnson's potential and affordable contract, while Pittsburgh receives a modest C for recouping a future late-round pick rather than losing the player for nothing.