Category: Diontae Johnson

Mike Tomlin’s ‘volunteers, not hostages’ stance could play out with Steelers WR Diontae Johnson

It sounds more and more like Kenny Pickett will start the 2024 season as the Steelers QB1, and if Diontae Johnson doesn’t like it, there’s the door. 

It sounds increasingly like Kenny Pickett will start the 2024 season as the Pittsburgh Steelers QB1, and if Diontae Johnson doesn’t like it, there’s the door.

Dating back to (at least) the Le’Veon Bell situation in 2018, Mike Tomlin has been noted for his phrase: “We need volunteers, not hostages.” Bell, Antonio Brown, and many other Steelers since have been proof of that.

That could be the scenario that plays out in the coming weeks as the Steelers start adding new names to the roster via NFL free agency and the draft.

Johnson has already made it evident he wants Mason Rudolph to start for the Steelers, which will make things mightly awkward this offseason. The fifth-year receiver might consider mending fences with Pickett, or things can quickly go from bad to worse.

Chemistry between a quarterback and his receivers is paramount in this league. If Johnson heads into the offseason without an open mind, it’ll make learning and working on Arthur Smith‘s new offense with Pickett all the more challenging. He might as well be catching passes from a QB in different colors.

Extending Johnson was one of Omar Khan’s first internal moves when he took over for Kevin Colbert in 2022. But don’t think for a minute he’s afraid to trade him if they foresee Johnson further becoming a distraction in the locker room.

There’s only one year left on Johnson’s deal. The Steelers might as well get something in return for him while they can.

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Steelers fans react to Diontae Johnson trade rumors

Steelers fans came out in full force to tweet their reactions to rumors that Diontae Johnson could be traded.

Pittsburgh Steelers fans are out in full force on X (formerly Twitter) after NFL reporter Tony Pauline speculated that wide receiver Diontae Johnson could be traded for appropriate compensation. Heck, even Johnson responded to the rumors with a series of tweets.

Johnson made it known that he was unhappy with presumed starter Kenny Pickett when he endorsed Mason Rudolph the day after his team’s loss to the Buffalo Bills.

As much of a blow as it would be to their current wide receiver room, the Steelers trading Johnson to avoid future distraction could be the right move.

Fans have mixed feelings.

 

 

Steelers WR Diontae Johnson reacts to trade rumors

Diontae Johnson took to X (formerly Twitter) to get his feelings out about the recent report he could be traded.

Once again, it’s make-up-what-you-want season for NFL reporters, and the latest story is from Tony Pauline. Pauline, formerly of Pro Football Network, is now with an outlet called Sportskeeda, headquartered in India. He opined that Diontae Johnson could be got for the right price.

“While it’s not fair to say Johnson is on the trading block, several people tell me the Steelers are open to moving the receiver if they receive fair compensation,” Pauline wrote.

“Several people tell me…” It seems like we’ve heard that before.

Johnson was quick to tweet out what is believed to be his response to Pauline’s report. He posted a series of tweets: “People just be talkin” at 6:34, followed one minute later with, “Let that old (emoji) stay in the past” and, seconds later, “It is what it is.”

The Steelers dealing Johnson has been something oft debated since before the team extended him in 2022. He has one year remaining on his current contract. If Pittsburgh doesn’t intend on signing him to another deal, it might as well get something for him in return.

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Steelers could trade WR Diontae Johnson if the price is right

There is a report that the Steelers are willing to trade wide receiver Diontae Johnson.

According to NFL reporter Tony Pauline, the Steelers would be willing to trade wide receiver Diontae Johnson if the price is right. What is the right price? That is all up for speculation at this point, but the fact this report is even going around should come as no surprise.

Here’s what Pauline had to say about the idea of Johnson being traded:

While it’s not fair to say Johnson is on the trading block, several people tell me the Steelers are open to moving the receiver if they receive fair compensation.

Two points here. First, what is a fair trade? I’d say a mid-third-round pick would get the deal done. Johnson is a great player, but his contract makes any trade challenging. Two factors hurt the Steelers’ leverage: He has a $16 million cap hit in 2024, and the acquiring team would have to re-sign him.

The second point is, that all you had to do was look at all the top receivers the Steelers met with at the NFL Scouting Combine and you could tell Pittsburgh is doing the prep work for replacing Johnson. The Steelers met with multiple receivers projected to go in the first two rounds. Will a trade happen? At this point, I’d say the odds are better than 50-50.

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Steelers 2024 offseason – Wide receivers

Here are the wide receivers currently on the Steelers roster.

Here is a quick look at all the wide receivers the Pittsburgh Steelers have on the current roster heading into the offseason. Once the Steelers passing offense got going late in the season, George Pickens and Diontae Johnson really produced but the Steelers got very little from any other receivers on the team. The only free-agent receiver the Steelers have to contend with from this list is Miles Boykin.

Diontae Johnson sounds off about Steelers’ playoff chances

The Steelers painted themselves in a corner as the 2023 regular season winds down.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a real bind as the 2023 regular season winds down. Like in recent seasons, they need help to get into the playoffs. They don’t like to make it easy on themselves, do they?

In speaking with Steelers media today, Diontae Johnson said what we all did a few weeks ago.

“We shot ourselves in the foot those two games we should have won,” he said via 93.7 The Fan. Johnson should’ve said three, as the Steelers hit a three-game losing streak in the middle of the season’s second half with losses to the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts.

But like any focused player in his position, he’s moved onto the season finale showdown with the best-in-league Baltimore Ravens.

“We can only control what we can control and keep trying to finish this season strong, and that’s winning on Saturday.”

The oddsmakers at BetMGM currently have the Ravens as 3.5-point favorites over the Steelers. At 13-3, Baltimore owns the longest win streak in the NFL with six, having last lost back in Week 10 to the Cleveland Browns. Pittsburgh, however, has their number with a 6-1 record since 2020 — three of those wins have come at M&T Bank Stadium.

Like the Steelers, the Ravens only did a walk-through on Tuesday, and head coach John Harbaugh said on Monday he wasn’t sure what his team’s personnel would look like on Saturday. They’ve clinched the division and No. 1 seed, so playing their starters would only be for pride and bragging rights should they secure a victory. Either way, the Steelers are in for a real battle, as always, against their divisional rivals.

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Diontae Johnson has had it with ‘negative’ Steelers fans

Who knows what specific social media post prompted Diontae Johnson to share his opinion on Steelers Nation, because it could’ve been one of thousands. 

Who knows what specific social media post prompted Diontae Johnson to share his opinion on Steelers Nation, because it could’ve been one of thousands.

“lol yaw so negative it’s sad,” Johnson wrote on X on New Year’s Day.

It’s true. Steelers fans are a miserable lot. Winning, apparently, doesn’t help that — even in the slightest.

Two consecutive wins after a three-game slide aren’t going to suddenly change things. The only thing that will cure negativity at this point is postseason victories — one-and-done doesn’t cut it.

It probably has something to do with expectations, and those of Steelers fans are high. Pittsburgh has a strong history of winning, of always being in the postseason conversation. Though the winning is there — let’s say it together now: “17 non-losing seasons” — the postseason part of those expectations has not been.

And Steelers fans are rightfully fed up.

Although it’s been decades, the Super Bowl success of the 1970s has spoiled fans to the point where two wins in four shots are unacceptable. No Steelers fan is satisfied with zero playoff wins in the six seasons. It’s the third-longest drought in the NFL (Miami Dolphins, 21 years; New York Giants, 10 years), which will only get extended with the 2023 season.

Mike Tomlin, the second-most tenured coach in the NFL, also owns the longest Super Bowl drought. Pittsburgh’s last appearance dates back to 2010 — 14 seasons — and they squandered a potential victory after a fumble by running back Rashard Mendenhall I (had to squeeze that in there).

The NFL is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league, and the Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t done it lately. That’s just what it comes down to for fans.

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Steelers HC Mike Tomlin opts to not share his opinion on Diontae Johnson celebration

Diontae Johnson’s celebration was completely tone deaf but Mike Tomlin played it off.

On Sunday, we saw yet another display of immaturity by Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson. In the midst of a blowout loss, late in the game, Johnson caught a garbage touchdown and chose to go for a choreographed touchdown celebration.

The incident was something the media asked head coach Mike Tomlin during his Monday press conference ahead of this Thursday’s game against the New England Patriots.

Tomlin played it off as if he didn’t even see the play, which we all know isn’t true. Then when asked if he had an opinion about Johnson celebrating when the team is down by 14 points, he said there was nothing he would share with the media.

What does that mean? It means Tomlin saw it, hates it but won’t do anything about it. Tomlin is more than willing to turn a blind eye to bad behavior by really great players, especially when he doesn’t have a replacement. But Chuks Okorafor is benched for the season for criticizing the offense on the sidelines. Would Tomlin have been so willing to make that move if he didn’t have Broderick Jones waiting in the wings?

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Steelers WR Diontae Johnson with another showing of immaturity in loss to Cardinals

Diontae Johnson should know better, but he doesn’t.

A touchdown should be celebrated. No question. Even the NFL agreed, finally relaxing on their stance in 2017. But celebrating a touchdown when your team has been playing “JV football” and your team is getting blown out by one of the worst teams in the league — not cool, man.

But if anyone is going to do it, it’s Diontae Johnson. Yeah, the guy who has two touchdowns in two seasons. It was a delayed reaction, as if he almost thought better of it… for a moment.

Egged on by George Pickens, Johnson did a little dance before tossing the ball into the air and shooting it down. Don’t be surprised if the league fines Johnson for using the ball as a prop, even if it was a weak attempt.

Tack this onto laziness and temper tantrums, and it’s not a good look for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Steelers WR Diontae Johnson speaks out on fumble incident: ‘I’m human’

Diontae Johnson talked about the play in which he failed to react to Jaylen Warren fumble.

A large focus of this week continues to be on Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson after he walked away from a live fumble by teammate Jaylen Warren on Sunday.

“I addressed the situation to my teammates,” Johnson told Steelers media on Wednesday. “They know how I feel and how I should go about the situation the next time it occurs. I’ll own up to it. I’m not perfect. All I can do is move forward and keep playing football. That’s all I can worry about.”

Johnson said his teammates didn’t say anything after he spoke with them about it.

He continues to claim he didn’t realize the play was still going. He might want to come up with a different response to that because all he’s doing is making himself look worse.

“If I could make the play again, I’d jump on the ball.”

Mike Tomlin said Johnson can’t let his emotions get the better of him. He needs to move on after a failed play instead of getting caught up in the no-touchdown call.

“It’s not something I do on purpose,” said Johnson. “Nobody’s out there just trying to mess up. I’m human, just like everybody else out there.”

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