Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Diontae Johnson takes the wrong side in Steelers controversy

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Rob Gregson | Last updated Dec 6, 2023 9:53 AM ET

It has been a rough 48 to 72 hours for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

A devastating loss, a handful of injuries, and a starting QB that went under the knife, the last thing the team needs is more drama.

Well, Steelers Pro Bowl WR Diontae Johnson must-have missed the memo:

DJ Doubles Down

“I don’t know, I felt like that the whole week — once we got out there, I just felt like something was different,” Johnson told reporters on Tuesday. “We [weren’t] at our best and what not. But I feel like we just took them [more] lightly than we should have.”

The comments from Johnson mirror Jaylen Warren's postgame comments where he started the notion that Pittsburgh wasn't properly prepared for the Cardinals. Vehemently disagreeing with the narrative, Coach Tomlin pushed back against Warren's statement during his weekly press conference:

#Steelers HC Mike Tomlin says the team doesn’t take anyone lightly.

Says the responses from players like Jaylen Warren was likely due to the way the media framed the questions.
— Rob G (@NFL_Rob) December 4, 2023

But I'll give Johnson the benefit of the doubt here. Monday was just a walkthrough and a relatively easy day for the Steelers, so maybe he didn't hear Coach T's statement about not taking anyone lightly.

But if he did and still went ahead and offered that up to reporters, then he should be disciplined accordingly, as that's just blatant disrespect of your head coach, and one of the most respected men in this league.

And following what was a dramatic few days for Johnson last week, he's the last person that needs to be commenting on these kinds of things or adding fuel to the fire. Perhaps he's mad at Coach Tomlin and others for making him publicity apologize, and this was his way of lashing out.

I certainly hope not, but things don't seem to be coincidental at this point.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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