Diontea Johnson had himself quite a week. It started with a heated argument with Minkah Fitzpatrick. Apparently Minkah had had enough of his squawking to the coaching staff. Then Johnson did not complete the catch in the end zone on Sunday. Depriving him of what would have been only his second touchdown in the last 24 games. To make matters even worse, his now viral lack of reaction to the Jaylen Warren fumble has made him open to extensive criticism. https://youtu.be/olMHxO2jZjs?si=LHEtGFCejy7Z07b6 All this leads us to the ultimate question, will the Steelers move Diontae Johnson after this season?
There is no questioning the talent of Diontae Johnson. He is among the best separators/route runners in the entire league. Where the problem lies with this player is between the ears. His issues with drops show a lack of concentration on the field. That was never more evident than the now infamous fumble play where Johnson showed zero lack of awareness. Combine that with the now consistent outbursts on and off the field, and the bad may be far outweighing the good at this point.
Anytime a team starts to think about moving on from a veteran player, the first thing to look at is the contract. In Diontae Johnson’s case the Steelers would actually save $1o million under the cap if they decided enough was enough with this player. The next thing to look at however is do they have someone to replace this player. And the answer to that in Pittsburgh is unequivocally no. The only possible candidate would be Calvin Austin. So far he has shown us nothing to think he may be up for being this team’s number one or two receiver. In this scenario the team would almost certainly have to draft a receiver in the first three rounds of the upcoming draft. Especially considering how much a replacement would cost in free agency.
So what to do with an immensely talented, but an equally frustrating talent who is about to enter the last year of his contract. An extension of DJ seems almost out of the question at this point. Leaving the team with two choices. Let the contract play out in 2024, and risk losing the player in free agency. The alternative is to attempt move Diontae Johnson via trade in the offseason. The latter becomes more and more likely as time goes by.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty of experience dealing with diva receivers in the past. George Pickens just another in a long line of Steelers diva receivers. This is a situation to keep a close eye on as the season progresses. How Diontae Johnson finishes the 2023 season will go a long way in determining his future with the team.