Head coach Tomlin has spoken out

Mike Tomlin has made a change after their loss against the Seattle Seahawks

PITTSBURGH Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has taken action after a costly mistake against the Seattle Seahawks.

The Steelers suffered a 31-17 loss last Sunday as the Seahawks pushed for a late rally in the final quarter.

Mike Tomlin has made a change after their loss against the Seattle Seahawks
Mike Tomlin has made a change after their loss against the Seattle Seahawks

Kaleb Johnson #20 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during a game.
Rookie Kaleb Johnson has been dropped after a costly mistakeCredit: Getty
A mistake from rookie running back Kaleb Johnson has cost him his place as an NFL starter.

The 22-year-old will not continue as the Steelers’ kick returner after costing them a crucial touchdown.

This comes after the Steelers faced calls to fire Johnson for his error.

With the Seahawks just three points ahead, Jason Myers launched a long-range kick-off early in the fourth quarter.

Returner Johnson let the ball bounce over him before casually walking away from the ball.

Johnson had thought that the ball had gone dead, despite the NFL’s new dynamic kick-off rules being in play.

This allowed the Seahawks to pounce on the loose ball and extend their lead to ten points.

The Steelers could not recover from this deficit.

President Donald Trump has since called out the new kick-off rules on social media.

Head coach Tomlin has opted to make the change as Johnson regains trust from his team.
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“Probably not in the short term,” Tomlin said. “I’m certainly going to give him an opportunity to work his way back from that error.

“I believe in his talent. He’s a sharp young man. He’s a hard worker.”

The Steelers are searching for greater consistency as they sit with one win and one loss after two weeks of action.

They scraped a 34-32 win against the New York Jets to begin their season well before tasting defeat against the Seahawks.

Tomlin remains open to the prospect of Johnson reclaiming his position later during the season.

“And, so, you leave the light on for him to give him an opportunity to move on from it,” Tomlin added. “But, he has to do that.

“He has to display that with his daily work and he’s got to earn himself back in a position to be a participant. So, we’ll see where the roads lead us.”

The Steelers will travel to face the New England Patriots this Sunday.

With running backs Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell, both 26, ahead of him in the depth chart, it is unlikely that Johnson will feature.

His best chance of climbing up the rankings is to impress in practise and reclaim his place on special teams.