Ben Roethlisberger Believes Steelers WR Diontae Johnson's Injury Stems From Limited Preseason Action

Amidst the Pittsburgh Steelers’ pathetic performance on opening weekend, they walked away with several bumps and bruises. Cam Heyward’s injury is the most significant to the team, and it was the most severe as well. He’s expected to miss several weeks (and even months) with a groin issue. Unfortunately, star wide receiver Diontae Johnson was injured in the contest as well. On Tuesday morning, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the dynamic route runner is expected to miss multiple weeks.

In his weekly press conference, Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin stated that Johnson would *likely* be unavailable for the Week 2 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. That’s a huge loss, as quarterback Kenny Pickett seemed to connect with Johnson early in Sunday’s loss. On a recently uploaded episode of the podcast Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback offered his thoughts on why Johnson got hurt.

"I don't know how bad that one is, it didn't look good at all. I knew instantly that he was hurting pretty bad. You ask the question, 'Where are these injuries coming from?' To me, and I'm not an expert in this, you're used to playing in practices and preseason where you're running and moving, but are you really going as hard and fast as you can in these games? You get out there, and you're going 110% [in the regular season]. Your muscles have to react and get used to that stuff," Roethlisberger said.

All things considered, it seems like the Steelers got lucky with Johnson's injury. Based off initial reaction at the time, it looked like Johnson may have suffered a serious injury. Tomlin didn't officially rule out Johnson for Week 2, but did say it was unlikely that he'll play. Still, that's encouraging. Roethlisberger appears to be correct in his prediction in the injury timetable for Johnson, as he said he will likely miss a few weeks. 

This remains a controversial debate throughout the NFL. The preseason was reduced from four to three games back in 2021 as the regular season gained a game. It’s important for players to gradually ramp up activities, as this helps avoid injuries. On the flip side, coaches are often wary of playing their starters in the preseason due to suffering a potential injury. 

Do The Steelers Need To Sign Another Wide Receiver With Johnson Out?

Everyone wants to head into the NFL with an injury-free roster. Still, it's important that those guys do get enough snaps in the preseason. It's a fine line that coaches walk, and the Steelers exited the summer with a healthy squad. Unfortunately, they racked up several injuries in that Week 1 loss including their best route runner on offense.

It remains to be seen whether or not the team will make a move at the receiver position. Based off Tomlin's additional comments, he seems confident in the depth to step up in Johnson's absence. He specifically noted Gunner Olszewski, someone who impressed throughout the summer. The team did sign Jacob Copeland to its practice squad, but that may end up being the lone move at wide receiver.

It's clear that the team will miss Johnson, as he was able to rack up three catches for 48 yards before leaving the game with an injury. While the starters played more than they typically do in the preseason, it's an interesting theory from Roethlisberger. 

How crucial is Johnson's loss to the offense? Should the front office entertain a wide receiver with Johnson being out for a few weeks? Who do you think needs to step up the most in the wide receiver room? Are you confident that Olszewski can step up in a big way? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!

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