In less than favorable weather, the Steelers were seeking a victory that would help put them in the NFL playoffs. So they turned to Diontae Johnson.
Last weekend, the Steelers and Ravens were tied at 7 at the start of the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh faced a third down and 4 on its own 28-yard line, and Johnson was lined up on the right side of the formation. Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph handled a shotgun snap and darted a pass toward Johnson within three seconds.
Johnson, a former star in the MAC at Toledo, had run a post route and Rudolph delivered the ball between defenders. From there, Johnson outraced multiple Ravens opponents to the end zone for a 71-yard touchdown.
The Steelers ended up winning 17-10 and are now in the postseason. And Johnson is poised to flourish once again.
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Diontae Johnson’s College Career At Toledo
Before he was a Pro Bowler, Johnson was a two-time first-team All-MAC wideout and the conference’s Special Teams Player of the Year as a returner at Toledo.
Johnson played as a freshman in 2015, but he enjoyed his most productive season the following year with 1,278 yards and 13 touchdowns on 74 receptions. He followed that up with 761 yards and eight scores on 49 catches his last year of college in 2018.
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Diontae Johnson’s Contract
Johnson signed a two-year, $36.7 million contract that expires after the 2024 season. Of that money, $27 million is guaranteed.
He has a base salary of $8 million this season, and that number will be $7 million in 2024.
In five seasons, Johnson has made $32.7 million in total earnings.
Diontae Johnson’s Stats Stand Out
Johnson missed four games earlier this season due to a hamstring injury and was on injured reserve after Week 1. But despite that, he came back and has still managed to be impactful for the Steelers’ offense.
Right now, he has 717 yards and 87 receptions, which are his lowest totals since his rookie year back in 2019, as well as five touchdowns through the air. In Pro Football Focus’ grades, though, Johnson is 28th overall among wide receivers and 24th in receiving grades.
He’s also among the top 40 wideouts in the NFL in terms of yards per route run (1.97), average depth of target (12.7 yards), passer rating on throws his way (100.8), and receiving touchdowns.
He’s especially effective in the intermediate and short areas of the field. He’s tied for 39th with 15 catches on throws 10-19 yards downfield, and he often made the most of those targets. He’s fourth in the league with 21 yards per reception and 29th with a 104.8 passer rating on those throws.
He’s also sixth with a 121.6 passer rating on throws 0-9 yards downfield. He’s top 30 in the NFL with 9.4 yards per reception and 4.5 yards after catch per reception on those passes.
This is all to say, Johnson has made an impact despite his health issues and the Steelers’ inconsistent passing offense. He should be in line for another successful day when Pittsburgh takes on the Bills in Buffalo in the wild-card round on Sunday.
