Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, Diontae Johnson, is still searching for a contract extension heading into the 2022 season. After the team made Minkah Fitzpatrick the highest-paid safety in football, Johnson seemed to be the next player to receive an extension. Terry McLaurin, from the same draft class as Johnson, agreed to a three-year, $71 million extension with the Washington Commanders. As a result, it raised the Steelers wide receiver's price just a bit.
Pittsburgh Steelers safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick celebrates after recovering a fumble against the Tennessee Titans on December 19, 2021. | Matt Freed/Post-Gazette
Now, it seems highly unlikely any deal will get done before the season. Thankfully, there will be no "hold-in," as Johnson has showed up to training camp in Latrobe. Any chance of him staying in the black and gold beyond this season will likely have to be negotiated after the season. On Wednesday, he made it clear where he wants to be long-term, via Josh Rowntree of 93.7 The Fan.
"I mean, I want to be here. I want to be here long-term, [but] that's up to them," Johnson said via Rowntree. "Just going to keep doing what I'm doing."
Diontae Johnson making it clear that he’d like a contract extension with #Steelers. @937theFan pic.twitter.com/y0Uv0q2UP5
— Josh Rowntree (@JRown32) July 27, 2022
Signs have began pointing to the Steelers front office perhaps not keeping their star wide out long-term. With McLaurin making just under $24 million per year in his new deal, Johnson will likely demand a contract near that. The question is whether or not the Steelers feel as if he's worth it. As of now, the answer seems to be a resounding no.
With the team's successful history in drafting wide receivers, perhaps the plan is to replace Johnson in that aspect. Although, with a new general manager in Omar Khan, things could change when it comes to drafting. The team did just spend two picks, both in the top four rounds, on WR's in this year's draft in George Pickens and Calvin Austin III.
Omar Khan is introduced as the Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager at a press conference at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Friday, May 27, 2022 in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers)
While his price tag is a bit high at the moment, perhaps the front office wants to see another elite, improved season from Johnson. Now entering his fourth season, he does still have mental lapses, at times, on the field. That mostly includes dropped balls that should be caught from a guy like him. Those mistakes did become more rare in 2021, though, as he showed significant improvements on his concentration when catching the ball compared to 2020.
It led to the best season of his career, which included career-highs in receiving yards (1,161), catches (107), and touchdowns (8). After 19 drops in his first two seasons, he had just five in 2021, most of which came in the last month of the season. The drop percentage fell to 3%, a significant improvement. Additionally, he had two fumbles in 2021 after seven in his first two seasons. Things are trending upward for the star wide out, but it's a matter of whether or not the Steelers front office feels he's worth a large contract extension after this upcoming season. Regardless, Johnson has now made it clear that he wants to be a Steeler for the long haul.
What do you guys think about this ongoing contract situation? Do you think Johnson is worth it? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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