PITTSBURGH — One of the less discussed moves in regards to the Steelers offseason was their free agency signing of Kenneth Gainwell, who last played for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The now Super Bowl Champion joined the team on a one-year deal at the beginning of free agency, and this was while Najee Harris was still a member of the team. Likely to take a backup role behind both Jaylen Warren and Kaleb Johnson, Gainwell enters a tough situation heading into the season.

Yet, he is ready for the challenge. When offensive coordinator Arthur Smith appeared on an episode of the Steelers documentary The Standard, he spoke about the upcoming season and the challenges that come with it. He also pointed out Gainwell’s openness to playing a bigger role with the Steelers, including some positional versatility.

“Kenneth Gainwell has a unique background with the position he played in Memphis”, Smith said. “Some of the stuff that they did with him in Philadelphia. He’s not just a running back in the traditional sense. Really good space player, runs sometimes receiver-like routes.”

Gainwell has also done some returning during his time in college and the professional ranks, and will likely take some reps at returning due to the Steelers not wanting to use Calvin Austin at the position.

Smith has not shied away from using players on the offense in multiple roles in the past, and Gainwell is likely open to the challenge due to moving to a new team on a “prove it” deal. Gainwell is still quite young, as the Steelers will be just his second team following a fifth round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Eagles.

Cordarrelle Patterson is also still with the team, so the competition for running backs in training camp is likely to be quite fierce.

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