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The Pittsburgh Steelers have not been shy about handing out contract extensions this offseason. First the team made safety Minkah Fitzpatrick the highest-paid safety in the NFL. Then the team turned around and gave kicker Chris Boswell a contract extension tying him as the highest-paid kicker.
And then there is wide receiver Dointae Johnson. The talented playmaker continues his hold-in while he waits for the team to work with him to get himself his own huge contract extension. But according to Steelers beat writer Gerry Dulac, the process has begun.
Steelers have started discussions w WR Diontae Johnson, but that doesn’t mean they will sign him before season, per team source.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) August 2, 2022
Johnson is coming off his best season as a pro where he finished with 107 receptions for 1,161 yards and eight receiving touchdowns. I’m sure Johnson wants to ride that momentum as well as an inflated wide receiver market like a big wave and land right on top of one of these huge extensions other receivers are signing.
But it is highly unlikley Johnson is going to get the type of money he wants. The Steelers don’t typically overpay for any position, much less wide receiver. Even after JuJu Smith-Schuster had a 111-catch season and a 97-catch season, the team didn’t flinch. With the cast of young receiver on the roster right now including uber-talented George Pickens, Johnson can’t bring a lot of leverage with his one big season.
Will the Steelers sign Johnson before the start of the season? Let us know in the comments below.
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