Steelers activate star WR Diontae Johnson off reserve/COVID-19 list

The Steelers are getting one of their top contributors back just in time for a late playoff push.

Wide receiver Diontae Johnson was activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday, per team announcement, lining him up to play in Sunday's regular-season finale against the Ravens. Johnson was initially placed on the list Thursday.

The Steelers can sneak in to the playoffs under the following scenario: they beat the Ravens; the Colts lose to the Jaguars; the Chargers and Broncos game does not end in a tie.

Johnson will play a key role in accomplishing the first part of that, as he leads Pittsburgh in receptions (100), receiving yards (1,110) and receiving touchdowns (eight) on the year. He also possesses a wide lead in targets, as his 159 looks from Ben Roethlisberger is more than 60 more than second-place Chase Claypool. Those numbers are also all career highs.

Johnson's 100 receptions ties him with the Chargers' Keenan Allen for fifth in the league heading into Week 18. He stands alone at ninth in receiving yards and comes in at 10th as well in receiving yards per game (74). He ranks sixth in the league in yards per touch at 11.1.

Since being selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Toledo, Johnson has spent his entire career in Pittsburgh. He's totaled 2,713 yards on 247 receptions in that time while scoring 20 touchdowns.