THE NEXT STAR AT WR?
Johnson’s superb debut included passes from 3 QBs as well as a previously undisclosed sports-hernia injury
Diontae Johnson led all NFL rookie receivers with 59 receptions last season, which is a nice accomplishment under any circumstances. Considering Johnson set the pace while playing with a sports-hernia injury that eventually required surgery and working with three different quarterbacks, it’s becomes an even more impressive achievement.
Johnson revealed Wednesday afternoon that he suffered the core-muscle injury in the second game of the season against the Seattle Seahawks, the same one in which quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was lost for the season with an elbow injury. He managed the injury with treatment during the season and played in all 16 games, but he underwent surgery to repair it in February.
Johnson, who is training in Florida during the COVID-19 pandemic, said he hopes to be medically cleared in the “next few days.” He has been among the receivers to catch passes from Roethlisberger during his rehab and said he might return to Pittsburgh next week to train with him again.
“It’s crazy,” Johnson said. “It’s Big Ben. He’s great. Just being able to work out with him this offseason has been good, just trying to get the timing down, get a feel for him, what he likes, what he doesn’t like, how he likes to throw the ball on certain routes.
“I’m just trying to pick his brain, just trying to get a bond with each other so we could build that trust together.”
Johnson still made an impact last season, catching passes first from Roethlisberger, then backups Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges. In addition to those 59 catches, he had 680 yards and five touchdowns.
Fellow rookie receivers A.J. Brown, Terry McLaurin, D.K. Metcalf and Deebo Samuel had more yards, but they also had the benefit of playing with more
established quarterbacks. With a healthy Roethlisberger in 2020, not to mention a healthy core muscle, Johnson has an opportunity to blossom in his second season.
There were signs he was developing into a go-to player for the Steelers late last season.
His role grew as the season progressed, and he produced when No. 1 receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was out of the lineup or hobbled with a late-season knee injury.
Over the final four games, Johnson had 24 catches for 255 yards. That’s nearly 41% of his catches and 38% of his receiving yards. SmithSchuster did not play in two of those games and was less than 100% when he returned for the final two.
Johnson had a chance to work with Roethlisberger last spring and summer, but Johnson said the relationship progressed late last season and has continued to flourish during the offseason despite limited opportunities to work together due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Me and Ben started talking toward the end of the season,” Johnson said. “I had to come in and prove to everyone I could play. As the season went on, I started contributing and making plays. He started seeing me make plays and started to interact with me more. It’s just building that trust with one another. I talk with him almost every day now. That’s my guy.
“We have big things to do this year. We’re trying to win the Super Bowl together.”
Johnson earned secondteam All-Pro honors as a punt returner last season. He averaged 12.4 yards per return and had an 85-yard touchdown in Arizona to help the Steelers beat the Cardinals.
But Johnson remains a bit overshadowed when it comes to recognition for his work as a receiver.
That’s why a season alongside Roethlisberger might produce big statistics. Roethlisberger has made stars of young receivers throughout his career.
Santonio Holmes, Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant and SmithSchuster are just a few who have flourished in the Steelers offense. Smith-Schuster remains the top dog in the receiving corps, but Johnson’s stated goals of reaching the 1,000-yard mark and making the Pro Bowl don’t seem outrageous, even though there is little hype surrounding that possibility.
“It’s been like that since I was in college at Toledo,” he said. “Everybody doesn’t really know me like that. I just have to keep doing what I’m doing, keep working until they respect me. That stuff doesn’t faze me. They don’t really know me or how I work. They can say whatever they want. I’m still going to continue to be me and help the Steelers win.”
Johnson is itching to get back to work with his teammates in a formal setting. The NFL has not yet determined when players will be allowed to return to their team facilities, but Johnson is working on the assumption training camp will be at the Steelers’ training facility on the South Side, not at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.
“This whole pandemic has been crazy,” Johnson said. “I’m still trying to get the work in. I’m getting through it, and I’m sure the rest of the guys on the team are doing the same thing. I’m staying ready, trying to get ready for camp.
“Hopefully, it’s soon. I’m just ready to get back and get to work with the guys. I miss it every day. Sitting at home not being able to do much, it kind of gets old.”