Ever hear a reigning rushing titleholder drop jaws with praise? Last month alone, Saquon Barkley, having finished a 2,000-yard season himself, called Atlanta‘s Bijan Robinson “the best RB in the NFL” and dared critics to “argue with your mom about that” on the NFL Top 100 show. That kind of praise from one superstar to the next has everyone talking about how fast new players can be the focal point. Now, when Steelers rookie Kaleb Johnson was asked the same, he indeed named someone, but it was someone far from his own team.

Amanda Vance, in a recent X post, reported that she asked running back Kaleb Johnson who his football idol was, and he didn’t blink twice before answering, “Derrick Henry.“ “I asked him who his role model is and he said Derrick Henry. 👀.” Yes, that Baltimore Ravens’ Derrick Henry. The RB’s resume does the talking. He won the Heisman Trophy with a bruising college demeanor and carried it into the pros, where he shattered Baltimore’s postseason rushing records in 2024 and finished in the top 5 in the league in yards and scores. For a Steelers rookie to openly admire the engine of an opponent’s offense? It says a lot about the mentality of Kaleb Johnson as well as the broader shift in attitude among younger players regarding legacy.

The Steelers and Ravens represent one of the NFL’s finest divisional rivalries, building it on toughness, mind games, and playoff stakes every fall. This iconic rivalry between the two started in 1996 when the Ravens joined the NFL. Fast forward to now, and Pittsburgh currently leads the wins against the Ravens 36-26. This also includes four playoff matchups. Not just that, the Steelers have also won eight of the last 10 games played against each other.

Amidst the history, Kaleb Johnson’s choice to emulate Henry’s toughness and caution illustrates the way personal inspiration cuts across team loyalty and may spark some unexpected dynamics in Pittsburgh.

On the contrary, tensions were simmering below the surface within Steelers camp as the team is going through growing pains during the offseason. Recent occurrences have brought to the fore the stress placed on rookies to be faultless under veteran tutelage, setting the stage for some unrefined raw moments on the field of practice.

Tensions arise between rookie Kaleb Johnson and Aaron Rodgers

On August 12, Aaron Rodgers didn’t spare words. He was anticipating rookie Kaleb Johnson to provide crispness and precision on a route to the left flat. Johnson instead got out of position, and Rodgers’ pass sailed wide. He yelled at him, and everyone around could hear.

Rodgers’ a 4x MVP and excellent field general who demands every route be run crisply and every catch be confident. But his frustration was the indication of something larger in the making. The 7-shot drill has been an issue, with routes blown, passes batted, and timing off despite having weapons like DK Metcalf and Pat Freiermuth trying to get some cadence.

When Rodgers yelled at Kaleb Johnson, it was a message: he’s here to win, and he wants people coming in off the street to be ready. Rodgers is not a babysitter; he is a competitor who demands top-shelf standards everywhere and demands his teammates bring the same intensity in practice that they do in games.

If you tally it all up, Kaleb Johnson’s admiration for a rival like Derrick Henry and his first-year experience with Rodgers provides you with a clue to what the Pittsburgh offseason is all about: a mixture of untapped potential, heated rivalry, and eagerness to get better. The Steelers are trying to find themselves, balancing the high expectations from the old guard and the upstart youngsters. Will these scorching lessons and shocks mix into a breakout season for Pittsburgh? Or will the rivalries and rookie jitters hold them back? Either way, Steeler Nation is watching.