Steelers Re-Signing Kenneth Gainwell Must Be a Priority This Offseason
Last year, the Pittsburgh Steelers had perhaps their most aggressive offseason ever. Notable transactions included the signing of Aaron Rodgers, the trade and sign of DK Metcalf, the acquisitions of Jalen Ramsey and Jonnu Smith, and the much anticipated extension of TJ Watt.
One interesting low key move was the addition of Kenneth Gainwell, who Pittsburgh signed to a one-year deal for $1.7 million.
Gainwell spent his first four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles, and was the reserve tailback to Saquon Barkley during the Eagles’ Super Bowl championship last season.
Heading into the preseason, Gainwell was in competition for the RB2 role with rookie Kaleb Johnson. Gainwell beat out Johnson, to be the backup alongside Jaylen Warren.
The 2025 season has been a breakout year, for the 26-year-old Gainwell, as his 527 rushing yards, 4.8 yards per carry, and 422 receiving yards to this point are all career-highs.
In terms of on the ground, Gainwell’s strongest performance was the Week 4 matchup in Dublin, Ireland against the Minnesota Vikings, where he rushed for 99 yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns. In Week 11 versus the Cincinnati Bengals, he recorded seven catches for 81 yards and a pair of touchdowns receptions. Gainwell also made a highlight reel play in Detroit, as he made one of the best catches of the season, when he laid on the turf and somehow hauled in the football, for a 45-yard score.
On Friday, it was announced that Gainwell was named the Steelers team MVP for 2025. As voted on by teammates, it’s hard to argue the choice, with Gainwell being the glue to hold the offense together.
Gainwell will enter this offseason as an unrestricted free agent. As one of the best NFL bargain signings from a year ago, Gainwell should be in line for a nice payday once the free agency period begins in March.
While it’s unclear who the Steelers quarterback will be next season, or how they try to actually address an impactful WR2, bringing Gainwell back into the fold on a multi-year contract would be huge for the offense moving forward.