PALM BEACH, Fla. — Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is excited about the addition of former Philadelphia Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell. Tomlin saw firsthand the damage that Gainwell is capable of. And that’s why the Steelers targeted him in free agency.
Gainwell is a shifty back who excels in space. He displayed that against the Steelers in Week 15 this past season, recording seven carries for 20 yards and three catches for 40 yards in Philadelphia’s 27-13 win.
“Obviously, the acquisition of Kenny Gainwell is something that we’re really excited about,” Tomlin said at the NFL’ owner’s meetings. “That’s a guy that we’ve competed against. Man, it seems like he made a bunch of significant plays in the flat against us a couple of months back that were significant game-altering-like plays. You know, you catch a swing route on third-and-6, you make a couple of people miss, you get a new set of downs, you’re able to keep the drive alive.
“He converted a third down in a similar way inside the red area, created a first-and-goal circumstance. It directly related to points as that game unfolded. You guys know that watch us work routinely how much we value routine things like winning in the flat, whether you’re a ball-carrier, a ball-catcher or a tackler.”
Kenneth Gainwell put on a show vs the Steelers. He actually looked better than Saquon that game. Watch him break ankles and tackles. pic.twitter.com/wSeDc1tH7v
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) March 12, 2025
Gainwell, 25, spent the last four seasons with the Eagles, winning a Super Bowl ring this past February. He originally joined the Eagles as a fifth-round pick out of Memphis in 2021.
He played in 66 games for the Eagles over the last four seasons, primarily serving as a change of pace running back and receiving weapon to players like Saquon Barkley, DeAndre Swift and Miles Sanders.
In his career, he has rushed 280 times for 1,185 yard and 12 touchdowns, maintaining a 4.2 yards per carry average. He’s also caught 102 of 138 targets for 721 yards and another score.
This past season, Gainwell played in all 17 games, rushing 75 times for 290 yards and one touchdown and catching 16 of 22 targets for 116 yards. In four games in the playoffs for Philadelphia, he had 13 carries for 42 yards and three receptions for 26 yards.
Gainwell has also returned kickoffs for the Eagles. He had 18 kickoff returns for 456 yards, for a 25.3 yards per return average, far better that of Steelers returning return men Cordarrelle Patterson and Jaylen Warren.
“That’s a skill set that really stood out to us,” Tomlin said about Gainwell’s elusiveness in the open field. “But, he’s got a well-rounded game. He’s a capable and willing special teams player, plays a lot on possession down ball.”
Gainwell is slotted to be the No. 2 running back behind Jaylen Warren. The Steelers could also draft a running back this April.
“I’m very confident in Jaylen Warren,” Tomlin said about Warren being the lead back after Najee Harris ...
