The Packers acquired running back Kaleb Johnson from the Steelers at the cutdown deadline. CBS Sports reported the trade; Yahoo Sports confirmed it. Green Bay gets another runner for its backfield. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, subtracts one.
The timing matters. The cutdown deadline is when rosters shrink, and a trade instead of a cut means the Packers had a need and the Steelers found a taker. Johnson doesn't walk into a starting job. He walks into a competition. The Packers didn't make this move to hand him carries. They made it to control the decision rather than pray he cleared waivers.
For fantasy, this is a depth move, not a waiver-wire priority. Johnson is a stash candidate in deep leagues at best. The backs ahead of him aren't going anywhere. What he offers is a known quantity in a backfield that just got a bit more crowded. If you're in a dynasty league, he's worth a flier. If you're in redraft, wait and see how the Packers line up in Week 1.
The Steelers, meanwhile, just met the Packers in the preseason opener, a 28-9 Pittsburgh win. Days later, they shipped a running back to that same opponent. That's how quickly roster math changes.
My verdict: this trade tilts slightly toward Green Bay. The Packers added a player at a position where training camp attrition hits hardest, and they did it without exposing him to the waiver order. For Johnson's fantasy value, it's a sideways move with a new helmet. He's a roster footnote until the first depth chart says otherwise.