The Steelers are now in their offseason after failing to reach the playoffs in 2022, coming up just a game short of sneaking in as the seventh seed. They needed help in week 18 and only got some of it, so instead they sat home and watched the playoffs with the rest of us.
On tap is figuring out how to be on the field in January and February instead of being a spectator. They started out 2-6, digging a hole that proved too deep to dig out of even if they managed to go 7-2 in the second half of the year.
Starting from the end of the regular season and leading all the way up to the beginning of the 2023 season, there are plenty of questions that need answered, starting with who will be the offensive coordinator. Which free agents will be kept? Who might be let go due to their salary? How might they tackle free agency with this new front office? We’ll try to frame the conversation in relevant ways as long as you stick with us throughout this offseason, as we have for many years.
Question: Is Diontae Johnson a ‘misunderstood’ player?
Diontae Johnson went from Pro Bowl recognition to scorn in one year—at least from the Steelers’ fan base. After becoming just the fourth player in team history to record a 100-reception season in 2021, he then set an NFL record with the most receptions in a single season without scoring a touchdown.
Coupled with his history of drops, largely from the 2020 season, and some negative tendencies in his game—the favorite at the moment is his propensity to run backward after making a reception to try to make a play—has led many to be down on him.
While most still credit him for being one of the game’s best route runners, attention has largely turned to the shiny new toy of George Pickens, the 2022 second-round draft pick who may not get open nearly as easily but has the size and skill to make the most of the majority of his contested targets.
Opinions about Johnson run the gamut, from those who believe he is a great player with some elite traits to those who think the Steelers should get rid of him as soon as is feasible. But who is he exactly as a player?
Perhaps we can’t answer that until after this season. Last year was a transition phase, trying to adjust to two new quarterbacks after having successfully built a strong relationship with Ben Roethlisberger before he retired.
If he can build a similar rapport with Kenny Pickett, will he be able to be as productive now as he was at his best working with Roethlisberger? And if that’s the case, how will he be perceived by the football world? Is he really a misunderstood player who is just coming off a bad year, or are his flaws more than his talent is worth?
