Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, Diontae Johnson is excited to finally have some consistency again when it comes to the quarterback throwing him the ball. The former University of Toledo star has had five different signal-callers start for him since he was drafted by the team in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger ran the show for Johnson's first two career games in 2019 before an elbow injury that needed surgery put him on the shelf for the year. Mason Rudolph and Devlin "Duck" Hodges filled in and Johnson managed to lead the team in touchdown catches.
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Steelers' Diontae Johnson will be expected to bounce back to his previous levels after a full offseason working with Kenny Pickett.
Johnson continued to progress with Roethlisberger under center for 15 games in 2020, posting 88 receptions for 923 yards and seven touchdowns. He took another step forward in 2021 with Roethlisberger back for a full season and notched his first career 1,000-plus yards receiving season. He was nominated to the Pro Bowl for the first time that same year.
Johnson took a noticeable step back in 2022, following the retirement of the legendary Pittsburgh QB, making 86 catches for 882 yards. His targets decreased from 169 to 147 and he failed to score a touchdown all season long. Head Coach Mike Tomlin explained back in March that the drop in production was probably more of a reflection of the team than anything Johnson was doing personally, but also said they weren't going to make any excuses about it. Johnson recently opened up about the comfortability of knowing who is going to be under center week in and week out.
"You don’t have to think about who is throwing you the ball,” Johnson said. "You can kind of prepare like I got such and such as a quarterback. Helps you know what to do. I’m not saying anything negative toward any of them [quarterbacks], it just helps you to know what to expect. So, I feel like that has helped me out a lot.”
Johnson had a strange relationship with day-one starter Mitch Trubisky during the 2022 season. He got the most targets of any Pittsburgh receiver in every game Trubisky started before he was pulled against the New York Jets. Johnson was only targeted four times against the Jets, which may have led to an altercation between the two, that also might've resulted in Trubisky's benching. The two managed to get on the same page when Trubisky started in place of an injured Kenny Pickett against the Carolina Panthers when Johnson had a season-high of 10 catches for 98 yards and helped the Steelers keep their playoff hopes alive.
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Steelers' Diontae Johnson makes a catch in warm-ups for the 2022 Pro Bowl in Las Vegas, NV.
Pickett admitted he was working on developing a better rapport with Johnson last season. The pair seemed out of sink in 2022, but are both hoping that with more work together, they can thrive.
Steelers' Pickett And Johnson Developing Chemistry Is Crucial For Meeting Goals
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Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson and running back Benny Snell celebrate during a game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Johnson had a clear jump in production as he was able to develop some clear chemistry in year two with Roethlisberger and if he wants to hit some of the lofty goals he's set for himself, he'll need that with Pickett too. He realizes just how important it is for him and Pickett to be on the same page.
"Repetition is for real,” Johnson said. “If you don’t have those repetitions, the timing isn’t going to be down. If you don’t have the timing down, then the ball is going to be all over the place. I feel like, knowing who you got, that has helped me out personally.”
Johnson and Pickett will have more time this year to get to understand the tendencies of one another with Pickett fully entrenched as the team's starter going forward. They've also taken some time away from team facilities to help work on the chemistry when Pickett arranged a workout in Florida for all the skill position players.
Johnson seems to have a good handle on how crucial it is for him and his quarterback to be on the same page after his sluggish 2022. If the two can work out the kinks that disconnected them in their first year together, the Steelers could have an incredibly dangerous group of wide receivers.
What do you think of Johnson's comments? What are your expectations for him in year 5? Comment below!
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