Former Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, and his addition wasn’t met with much fanfare.

Expected to serve as the Steelers’ RB3 in 2025, Gainwell is unlikely to have a major role in the Pittsburgh offense. But for a group that finished near the bottom of the league when it came to run game efficiency last season, every bit of help will count.

What will Kenneth Gainwell’s 2025 look like?

I expect Gainwell to win the Steelers’ RB3 camp battle over Cordarrelle Patterson, and take over what Patterson’s duties were in 2024: returning kickoffs and around three offensive touches a game.

In fact, Gainwell could handle an even bigger workload — he had 91 touches as the Eagles’ RB2 last season — but he’s expected to be even lower on the depth chart in Pittsburgh, and there are some redundancies between his and Jaylen Warren’s games (and Warren runs with more power).

Of course, Patterson is still rostered and he could put up a bigger fight for the RB3 spot than some expect. The 12-year veteran actually had a slightly better rushing average than Gainwell last season (4.2 to 3.9 behind a worse offensive line), and his pre-injury games, namely Weeks 3-4, showed some chunk play ability that was noticeably lacking later in the season.

Ironically, Patterson’s downfall in the upcoming roster battle might be his kick return ability, which has noticeably diminished from the days when he was one of the best return men in NFL history.

Patterson averaged just 21.8 yards per return in 2024 compared to Gainwell’s 25.3. Blocking is part of the story there, but Gainwell clearly has more burst than Patterson at this stage in their respective careers.

As a result, Gainwell has a clear shot at the RB3 role — just through special teams.

On offense, he could see more snaps than expected early in the year if the Steelers choose to ease Kaleb Johnson into the lineup, especially if they still don’t trust the rookie’s pass protection. A receiving-capable running back, there’s always a chance Gainwell becomes a trusted check-down option for Aaron Rodgers as well.

Stat predictions for depth players are even more of a shot in the dark than those for starters, so I won’t even make an attempt here. But as RB3s go, I think Gainwell will prove to be a solid free agent addition and an upgrade over Cordarrelle Patterson.

While the Steelers’ running game isn’t exactly populated with elite speed backs entering the new season, there is certainly more youth and athleticism than in 2024 — Johnson and Gainwell’s change of direction skills are significant improvements over that of Najee Harris and Patterson. It could be fun to watch if the offensive line holds up their end of the deal.

What are your expectations for Kenneth Gainwell in 2025? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!