Add Diontae Johnson to the long list of talented Steelers wideouts with a penchant for misspeaking.
Following Pittsburgh's disheartening 24-20 loss Sunday to the Jets, Johnson opened up to reporters about the state of the Steelers.
It's safe to say Mike Tomlin probably wasn't a big fan of Johnson's remarks.
"Obviously, this is a rebuilding year," said Johnson. "I'm not going to use that as an excuse. It don't matter who's at quarterback, or whoever's in at any position. It's our job to get it done and win games. For us, in general. That's what we gotta do: win."
That's quite an admittance from Johnson, who should probably worry about catching passes that hit his hands before making sweeping declarations about the state of the Steelers. In the first quarter, Mitch Trubisky threw a laser to Johnson over the middle, but the ball went right through his hands, and into the outstretched arms of Jets safety Lamarcus Joyner.
Trubisky INT. Diontae needs to be better!! #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/9HTyWlz7ZK
— BlitzVideos✨ (@BlitzVideos) October 2, 2022
That's not the kind of performance the Steelers expected from Johnson when they inked him to a two-year, $36.7 million extension over the summer, with $27 million guaranteed. With an average annual salary of just over $18 million starting in 2023, Johnson is the Steelers' highest-paid wideout since Antonio Brown.
While Johnson was probably gunning for a longer-term deal, the Steelers could've let him ride out his rookie contract. Instead, they decided to reward him early.
In return, Johnson has kept dropping passes, and now, he's downplayed the rest of the season.
The Steelers are 1-3 and apparently rebuilding. Come get your tickets now!
