Aditi Kinkhabwala writes the Steelers have not yet “at all” offered WR Diontae Johnson a contract.
Coming off two years as Pittsburgh’s leading receiver, Johnson is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is scheduled for unrestricted free agency in 2023.
It’s worth mentioning the Steelers just signed S Minkah Fitzpatrick to a big-money deal today and now could focus on Johnson with months to go until the internal, self-imposed deadline of not negotiating during the regular season.
However, the explosion of the wide receiver market this offseason as well as Pittsburgh’s organizational history of being reluctant to sign wide receivers to second contracts makes this a situation worth watching.
Johnson has made it clear that he wants to remain in Pittsburgh long-term.
“I’m not really worried about that,” Johnson said about his contract status, via ESPN.com. “There’s a lot of stuff going on out there, saying certain stuff about me. At the end of the day, I can only move forward and just control what I can control. I want to be here. I’m patient. I’m just going to keep working. My agent is going to do what he do in that situation, and I’m not going to focus on that.”
Johnson, 25, was selected with the No. 66 overall pick in the third round by the Steelers back in 2019. He signed a four-year, $4,251,708 contract that included a $1,129,110 signing bonus.
In 2021, Johnson appeared in 16 games for the Steelers and caught 107 of 169 targets for 1,161 yards (10.9 YPC) and eight touchdowns. He also added five carries for 53 yards.
We’ll have more on Johnson as the news is available.
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