Player
Kenneth Gainwell
RB · Steelers
This is the inflection point of Gainwell's career. Four years stuck in a backfield rotation in Philadelphia produced four near-identical seasons of around 400-550 scrimmage yards. Pittsburgh's offseason — losing Najee Harris to the Chargers and starting Aaron Rodgers under center — created a passing-down vacancy that turned into a feature workload. The 2.5x volume jump (75→114 carries, 22→85 targets) is the entire story of 2025 for him.
Four years as a change-of-pace back in Philly — then a 537-yard rushing season in his first year in Pittsburgh.
TrendGainwell production by year
| Year | Team | G | Car | Rush Y | Rush TD | Rec | Rec Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | PHI | 16 | 68 | 291 | 5 | 33 | 253 |
| 2022 | PHI | 17 | 53 | 240 | 4 | 23 | 169 |
| 2023 | PHI | 16 | 84 | 364 | 2 | 30 | 183 |
| 2024 | PHI | 17 | 75 | 290 | 1 | 16 | 116 |
| 2025 | PIT | 17 | 114 | 537 | 5 | 73 | 486 |
Total scrimmage yards per season
| Season | Scrimmage Yards |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 544 |
| 2022 | 409 |
| 2023 | 547 |
| 2024 | 406 |
| 2025 | 1023 |
From 2021-2024 in Philly behind Miles Sanders, D'Andre Swift, and finally Saquon Barkley, his per-season scrimmage yardage was 544 / 409 / 547 / 406 — capped on volume by depth chart geometry.
2025 in Pittsburgh: 1,023 scrimmage yards on 187 touches — a 2.5x jump in the volume role. The Steelers signed him as a complement to Jaylen Warren after Najee Harris left in free agency, and got a near-feature back instead.
Why it matters. This is the inflection point of Gainwell's career. Four years stuck in a backfield rotation in Philadelphia produced four near-identical seasons of around 400-550 scrimmage yards. Pittsburgh's offseason — losing Najee Harris to the Chargers and starting Aaron Rodgers under center — created a passing-down vacancy that turned into a feature workload. The 2.5x volume jump (75→114 carries, 22→85 targets) is the entire story of 2025 for him.
He's a dual-threat back now — 73 catches in 2025 nearly equals his combined catches across his prior 4 seasons (102).
SplitGainwell receiving usage by year
| Year | Tgts | Rec | Rec Y | Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 50 | 33 | 253 | 1 |
| 2022 | 29 | 23 | 169 | 0 |
| 2023 | 37 | 30 | 183 | 0 |
| 2024 | 22 | 16 | 116 | 0 |
| 2025 | 85 | 73 | 486 | 3 |
Top 5 RBs by receptions, 2025 regular season
| Rank | Player | Tgts | Rec | Rec Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Christian McCaffrey | 129 | 102 | 924 |
| 2 | Bijan Robinson | 103 | 79 | 820 |
| 3 | Jahmyr Gibbs | 94 | 77 | 616 |
| 4 | Kenneth Gainwell | 85 | 73 | 486 |
| 5 | Chase Brown | 88 | 69 | 437 |
In 2024 he caught just 16 passes for 116 yards. In 2025 he caught 73 for 486 — and added 3 receiving TDs (his career total going in was 1).
He finished 4th among all RBs in receptions in 2025, behind only McCaffrey, Bijan, and Gibbs — names that make seven-figure RB1 money. Pittsburgh built a checkdown-heavy passing concept around him with Aaron Rodgers under center; the receiving role is what made him a fantasy/real-life starter, not the carries.
Why it matters. For four seasons Gainwell was a low-volume change-of-pace back whose value was capped by depth chart and scheme. Cracking the top-5 RB receiver list — a club that's been dominated for a decade by elite dual-threat backs (McCaffrey, Kamara, Ekeler, Bijan) — means he's now part of an offense that treats him as a designed receiver, not a checkdown afterthought. That elevates his floor every week regardless of how the run game is going.
8 games of 6+ targets in 2025 alone — twice his total from his first four NFL seasons combined.
RareGainwell games with 6+ targets by season
| Season | Games (6+ Tgts) | Avg Tgts/G |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3 | 3.1 |
| 2022 | 0 | 1.7 |
| 2023 | 1 | 2.3 |
| 2024 | 0 | 1.3 |
| 2025 | 8 | 5.0 |
Gainwell's 2025 high-target games
| Week | Opp | Tgts | Rec | Rec Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | MIN | 6 | 6 | 35 |
| 6 | CLE | 6 | 6 | 14 |
| 11 | CIN | 8 | 7 | 81 |
| 12 | CHI | 6 | 6 | 30 |
| 14 | BAL | 7 | 6 | 27 |
| 15 | MIA | 7 | 7 | 46 |
| 16 | DET | 7 | 5 | 78 |
| 18 | BAL | 9 | 8 | 64 |
From 2021-2024 Gainwell hit 6+ targets just 4 times in 66 games — roughly once every 16 games. In 2025 he hit that mark 8 times in 17 games, including a season-ending stretch where he saw 6+ in five straight games (Weeks 14-18).
The target floor essentially redefined his role: from a third-down change-up to a near-every-week receiving option Aaron Rodgers leans on against zone coverage.
Why it matters. Target volume is the single best predictor of RB fantasy and real-life relevance. A back who's never above 3 targets per game is a depth piece; one averaging 5 is in the every-week conversation. Gainwell crossed that line cleanly in 2025, and the back-half cluster (5 straight 6+ target games) shows the team's commitment increased as the season went on — not a fluke spike from one matchup.
Goal-line workhorse: 9 rushing TDs inside the 5-yard line since 2021 — more than Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, or Saquon Barkley over the same span.
AnomalyGainwell career rushing inside the 5-yard line
| Yardline | Carries | TDs | TD % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | 3 | 50% |
| 2 | 7 | 2 | 29% |
| 3 | 5 | 1 | 20% |
| 4 | 6 | 3 | 50% |
| 5 | 4 | 0 | 0% |
| Total (1-5) | 28 | 9 | 32% |
Gainwell's 9 inside-the-5 rushing TDs since 2021 are more than several higher-profile peers over the same five-year window — Bijan Robinson has 8, Jahmyr Gibbs 6, Saquon Barkley 6 (though Barkley missed 2022).
The 32% conversion rate is well below the league baseline (~56% inside the 1), but the volume itself is the story: 28 short-yardage carries for a player who's never been a full-time starter. Both Philly and Pittsburgh have repeatedly trusted him with the ball when one yard buys a touchdown.
Why it matters. Goal-line touches are the most concentrated source of TD upside in football, and they're typically the workhorse back's exclusive domain. The fact that two different coaching staffs (Sirianni in Philly, Tomlin in Pittsburgh) have fed Gainwell 28 short-yardage carries suggests something real about his contact balance and pass-pro reliability that doesn't show in his bulk stats. Conversion is a separate question — he's leaving TDs on the field at the 1-2 yardline.
Career-best 4.71 yards per carry in 2025 — and the only season he ever cleared 4.5 YPC on 100+ carries.
MilestoneGainwell efficiency by season
| Year | Team | Carries | Rush Y | YPC | 10+ Yd Runs | Explosive % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | PHI | 68 | 291 | 4.28 | 7 | 10.3% |
| 2022 | PHI | 53 | 240 | 4.53 | 7 | 13.2% |
| 2023 | PHI | 84 | 364 | 4.33 | 10 | 11.9% |
| 2024 | PHI | 75 | 290 | 3.87 | 11 | 14.7% |
| 2025 | PIT | 114 | 537 | 4.71 | 15 | 13.2% |
Gainwell had been a sub-4.3 YPC back for most of his career. In 2025 he posted 4.71 YPC on the highest volume of his career (114 carries) — the rare combination of volume going up AND efficiency going up.
More impressively, 15 of those 114 carries went for 10+ yards (13.2% explosive rate). His prior career high was 11 explosive runs in 2024, on similar volume. Pittsburgh's run scheme — heavier under-center, more downhill — apparently fits him better than the wide-zone-heavy Eagles concept that produced his 3.87 YPC in 2024.
Why it matters. Volume and efficiency usually trade off — when a backup becomes a feature back, his YPC almost always drops because defenses load up and he sees worse looks. Gainwell did the opposite: more carries, fewer of them stuffed, and more big plays. That's the strongest argument that the 2025 breakout isn't just a usage mirage — the underlying running ability also stepped up in a new scheme.
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