After being inserted into the starting lineup for the Pittsburgh Steelers at halftime of the Week Four loss to the New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett had to sort of figure things out on the fly in the NFL.
That included trying to build relationships with the some of the starting receivers while trying to adjust to the speed of the NFL game. Though he was able to establish a strong connection with George Pickens right away due to being in his same draft class and getting quite a bit of work with him throughout the offseason and training camp, that rapport wasn’t quite there with veteran receiver Diontae Johnson.
Pickett and Johnson had their struggles connecting on the field, leading to a rather frustrating season overall for Johnson, who finished with 86 receptions for 882 yards setting an NFL record for most targets and receptions in a single season without finding the end zone.
Entering the 2023 season though, the two have a strong relationship on and off the field, which has Pickett looking forward to putting together a strong season with his No. 1 receiver.
Appearing on the Steel Here podcast Thursday, Pickett spoke highly of Johnson and stated that he has a good feel for him as a receiver now after trying to get in sync with him last season.
“I didn’t have a chance to rep with him as much, obviously coming from working the card offense, just going right in there. I never had a chance to rep with Diontae, really, or George that much, or Pat [Freiermuth],” Pickett told Steel Here co-hosts Kevin Adams and Jersey Jerry, per the show’s YouTube channel. “But I think I really have a good feel for him, and that relationship started in the offseason throwing together and then getting all the reps in camp. So I feel really good with how our progress is coming.”
There’s plenty of evidence from the preseason that the two should feel really good about where their connection is, and what’s in store during the 2023 season.
Right away in the preseason opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pickett came out firing to Johnson, hitting him three times for 32 yards on the only drive the starters played in the game. After that, the two didn’t hook up on a connection in the preseason game against the Buffalo Bills at Acrisure Stadium, but the two closed the preseason in style. On the road against the Atlanta Falcons, Pickett hit Johnson for 33 yards on a third and 6, kick-starting a scoring drive for the Black and Gold.
While Johnson certainly had his issues last season from a run-after-catch perspective and with the occasional big-time drops, especially on shots to the end zone, the connection between Pickett and Johnson was never quite on the same page. There’s no excuses now after a full offseason of work together.
Johnson made an effort to get with Pickett in Miami to get as much work in as possible. That led to a quick start in training camp as Pickett looked his way more often and the two really had a strong three weeks in Latrobe at Saint Vincent College. Obviously, that carried over into the games, too, and has Johnson poised for a big season once again.
Pickett vowed that Johnson is not going to go the whole season without finding the end zone again, either.
“We’re gonna get him on the board, man. He’s gonna make plays, he’s gonna do his thing,” Pickett said. “Tay, he’s a really, really talented receiver man, and I’ve loved working with him going into my second year now. He’s gonna make a ton of plays for us this year, so I’m pumped to get back out there with [No.] 18.”
That should be music to the ears of every Steeler fan out there, and words to dread for opponents in 2023.
With Pickens emerging on the other side as a legitimate star, Johnson should find himself with more one-on-one opportunities for the Steelers. Pickett’s going to find him early and often, and that should lead to Johnson reminding many just how good he is overall.
Watch the entire episode below.
