Diontae Johnson ready to renew connection with Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger

By almost any measure, the numbers Diontae Johnson posted in 2019 were impressive.

His 59 receptions led all rookie pass catchers in the NFL and were the most by anyone on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster. His 680 receiving yards were second on the team and sixth among all rookies. His five touchdown catches represented another team high.

And he did it while spending all but six quarters working with the Steelers’ second- and third-string quarterbacks.

It left Johnson wondering what kind of stats he might produce not only with another year of development, but with a healthy Ben Roethlisberger back under center.

“I’ve thought about it since the end of the season and while getting back ready,” Johnson said Wednesday on a video conference call with reporters. “Expecting Ben to come back 100 percent, I’m looking forward to getting on the field with him this year.”

Johnson got a small sample size of working with Roethlisberger in the offseason. He was one of the receivers who caught passes from Roethlisberger during an informal workout at Robert Morris in July. And he was on the receiving end of several Roethlisberger passes earlier this week at Heinz Field during the strength and conditioning period of training camp.

“I feel like Ben’s arm is way better than it was last season,” Johnson said. “Being able to catch the ball from him, I’m excited. I want to help him win games and make him look good.”

Johnson was asked whether Roethlisberger is putting any zip on his passes or whether he’s holding back.

“He’s cut a lot of them loose, actually,” Johnson said. “He’s throwing a nice, tight spiral like you want. He’s going to put the ball right where he wants to.”

Johnson got limited work with Roethlisberger last season because of the elbow injury that shelved the franchise quarterback for the final 14 games of the season. Before Roethlisberger’s injury in the first half of Week 2 against Seattle, Johnson had three catches for 25 yards — all coming in the season-opening loss at New England.

That means Johnson’s other 56 catches for 655 yards and five touchdowns came when Mason Rudolph and Duck Hodges were throwing him the ball.

Nothing against those two quarterbacks, but …

“Everybody wants to play for Ben, obviously,” Johnson said. “He’s our leader. He’s our quarterback. Everybody is locked in on every play. The energy he brings to the offense — you want to play for a guy like that.

“He will help you make plays, and you want to make him look good, as well.”

In the early days of workouts at Heinz Field, Johnson noticed a more determined Roethlisberger than he witnessed in the 2019 training camp.

“He’s more excited. He’s anxious to get on the field and want to play for us,” he said. “That makes us want to play for him even more. That’s one of the things I’ve seen from him. He’s been engaging with me more than he did last year. I was a rookie, so he wasn’t talking to me like (a veteran). Now, it’s talking to him and having that connection, and we’re going to keep building.”

Such talk meshes with what Roethlisberger told reporters Tuesday when he said he’s determined to return better than ever at age 38.

“I feel really good,” Roethlisberger said. “I feel strong. I feel healthy. I feel young, if you can feel young at this age. I’m just really excited about the season and the group of guys we have here.”

That includes Johnson, who also dazzled as a punt returner as a rookie. He was named second-team All-Pro for his return work after averaging 12.4 yards on 20 attempts that included an 85-yard touchdown against Arizona.

Like Roethlisberger, Johnson dealt with his own injury issues in 2019. He injured his groin against Seattle. Although he didn’t miss a game or practice because of the injury, Johnson elected to undergo sports hernia surgery in February.

Which means the 17th-year veteran and second-year receiver each will have something to prove in 2020.

“I know how hard he worked this offseason to get back healthy, and I know how hard I’ve been working,” Johnson said. “Getting back on the field with him will be amazing. I can’t wait to get going.”