Although most of the primary offensive contributors from last season for the Pittsburgh Steelers return in 2023, there has still been a sense of urgency about working together to establish a tighter rapport that should translate to smoother operations and greater success on the field.
That applies especially to second-year QB Kenny Pickett and his passing targets, which include chief among them WRs Diontae Johnson and George Pickens. While he had a bit of a rhythm with fellow rookie Pickens, the 2022 season was often tough sledding between the quarterback and the veteran receiver.
Many players stated their hope or intention of getting in more work during the offseason with Pickett. That translated into actuality more successfully for some than others. For Johnson, it wasn’t quite as much as he was hoping for—not that he’s sweating it.
“We got together once, we threw down in Miami”, he told reporters during the first day of training camp practice on Thursday, via 93.7 The Fan. “I went to his wedding. That’s probably it. I wish we would’ve gotten a little more time in, but I feel like we can get it in here, too”.
Pickett and fellow quarterback Mitch Trubisky organized a large group of players to work together down in Miami early in the offseason. Pickett has worked intermittently with other since then, most notably Allen Robinson II, who spent time with him in New Jersey as he worked with his private quarterback coach.
It should go without saying that it’s far from the end of the world that Pickett and Johnson didn’t get more private workouts in this offseason. After all, it was a busy one for the young quarterback thanks to his wedding and all the preparations that go along with it.
Still, it is notable for Johnson to say that he hoped to have gotten a bit more work in. At the very least, it speaks to his hunger to grow with the young quarterback, which he said was his goal this offseason, “just continuing to build our relationship”.
A Pro Bowler in 2021 during his final season with Ben Roethlisberger, Johnson saw his production drop significantly across the board amid the transition at the helm. He caught 21 fewer passes (107 to 86) for 279 fewer yards (1161 to 882) and dropped from eight touchdowns to zero.
It’s no wonder he’s hoping to improve his on-field relationship with his quarterback. It took a couple of years to get fully in sync with Roethlisberger. Now he has to adjust to Pickett. But that process has already been well underway and should be kicked into high gear over the course of the next several weeks during training camp and the preseason.
Personally, I expect them to be a very productive duo this year, even if the Steelers might not put up quite the same passing numbers as they did with a Hall of Famer under center in an offense centrally focused on the passing game. And I think Johnson’s eagerness to get in extra time—and let’s make it very clear, we’re talking about voluntary, private, extra workouts—is a good example of why they will be successful.
