Ravens' Diontae Johnson addresses facing Steelers after trade

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin may or may not have taken a shot at Diontae Johnson of the Baltimore Ravens when Tomlin said on Tuesday that the Ravens have "got more significant pieces with larger roles that are occupying my attention at this part of the week" than the former Pittsburgh wide receiver. 

Ahead of Sunday's game between the 7-3 Ravens and 7-2 Steelers at Pittsburgh's Acrisure Stadium, Johnson spoke about facing the club that made him a third-round draft pick in 2019 and traded him to the Carolina Panthers this past March.

"Man, I had a great career there. I loved it," Johnson said Tuesday, as shared by Ryan Mink of the Ravens' website. "Great city, people great there. I know what they're about. I can't wait to get to Sunday to just be back in that stadium."

Johnson featured for the Steelers from 2019-23, but it became clear by the end of last season that the parties were headed toward a split before he landed in Carolina ahead of this year's draft. Both the Panthers and Johnson elected to end that marriage after half a campaign, however, and the 28-year-old ended up in Baltimore in late October. 

While some suggested Johnson built a reputation for being a bit of a diva during his Pittsburgh tenure, he revealed on Tuesday that he still speaks often with multiple current Steelers players. 

"I'm ready to get back there just to see the good people that I made relationships with and stuff like that," Johnson said. "But other than that, it's a big moment for me."

Johnson recorded just one catch for six yards across his first two games with the Ravens, but Baltimore's Rashod Bateman said on Tuesday he is "definitely excited to see what we do with [Johnson]" moving forward. Some may assume the Ravens will give Johnson some additional looks against the club that dumped him roughly eight months ago. 

"They're working me in there slowly, but, you know, I just go out there, whenever they call my number, going to do my thing. So I can't go in there just expecting a lot," Johnson added. "I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself. However the game goes, I'm all for it."

As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Ravens as three-point favorites for this weekend's divisional clash.