‘Any player would be frustrated’ — Diontae Johnson lacking production in Steelers offense
Thanksgiving will come and go without the Pittsburgh Steelers’ No. 1 wide receiver having recorded a touchdown during the 2022 season. He doesn’t have a 100-yard game yet, either.
During Sunday’s 37-30 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, in fact, Diontae Johnson was Steelers’ fifth-leading receiver in yardage.
“Any football player would be frustrated,” Johnson said of those circumstances. “But I just have to keep playing.”
Johnson was targeted five times Sunday, producing four catches for 21 yards. His longest reception was 8 yards. Counting a 1-yard run for a first down, four of Johnson’s five touches came during one second-quarter series.
Johnson, who was also flagged for a false start in the game, was targeted just twice in the second half, making one catch for 1 yard.
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“With the coverage they were playing, I felt like they weren’t letting Diontae get singled up,” quarterback Kenny Pickett said. “That’s frustrating when he’s that good of a player, that talented, and they try and take him out of the gameplan. There is some things (that can be done), maybe move him around more and get him in different spots to try and get him the ball, you know? But when they’re playing a two-high shell and they got a safety over the top, it’s tough.”
Johnson signed a two-year, $36.71 million contract extension in August. Ten games into the season, he has surpassed 60 receiving yards once and has not had more than five catches in a game since Week 3.
“I can’t really … I don’t really want to speak too much on that,” Johnson said about his lack of opportunities. “A lot of that stuff is out of my control. I don’t like to not be involved like that, but it is what it is and it’s the situation I am in. And I’ve got to deal with it.”
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Chris Adamski is a TribLive reporter who has covered primarily the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2014 following two seasons on the Penn State football beat. A Western Pennsylvania native, he joined the Trib in 2012 after spending a decade covering Pittsburgh sports for other outlets. He can be reached at cadamski@triblive.com.
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