Steelers’ Diontae Johnson not expected to sit out reps while waiting on contract

Last year during training camp while entering the final year of his contract, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt did not participate in team drills in an effort to avoid injury and preserve his body.

Before safety Minkah Fitzpatrick signed an extension in June, he did the same during organized team activities and minicamp this summer.

Will receiver Diontae Johnson — whose contract expires after this season — similarly sit out team reps during this training camp?

“I am not proceeding with any anticipation of any of those types of things,” coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday, the day players reported to Saint Vincent College.

The first formal team practice is Wednesday.

Johnson finished tied for fifth in the NFL in catches (107) and 10th in yards (1,161) last season despite missing a game because of injury. Making $2.79 million in the fourth and final season of his rookie contract signed as a third-round pick in 2019, Johnson (and his representation) surely have noted the bounty of big-money contracts given to wide receivers this offseason. The market has exploded, with top receivers now getting upwards of $60 million in guarantees and average annual salaries of $20-30 million.

Johnson was a scant participant at voluntary organized team activities, but he was present for all of mandatory minicamp in June, fueling speculation he might go the way of Watt last year and not fully take part in all camp drills.

Tomlin did not explicitly express that he knew whether Johnson would take that route.

“He (reported to Saint Vincent) on time and did a heck of a job on the conditioning test, like everyone else,” Tomlin said. “So we keep moving forward.”

Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.