Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety and now Emmy award-winning ESPN analyst Ryan Clark was already fed up Thursday night following the puzzling 4th-and-2 play call from the Steelers’ offense, effectively ending the game.
That fed up attitude and, quite honestly, anger carried over into his appearance on ESPN’s Get Up! Friday morning. For Clark, it’s time somebody makes a statement in the locker room for the Steelers and that players with attitude problems shouldn’t be rewarded with opportunities to make plays.
More specifically, Clark targeted wide receiver Diontae Johnson in his rant. Johnson, of course, was on the receiving end of the 4th-and-2 target from quarterback Mitch Trubisky that fell harmlessly to the turf incomplete, though Johnson was looking for a flag for pass interference or holding on the play.
Clark’s frustration with Johnson seems to be spilling over from earlier in the season when Johnson was irate on the sidelines, got into it with coaches and had to be physically removed from a conversation with coaches on the sidelines against the Cleveland Browns, before then getting into a locker room spat with Minkah Fitzpatrick.
“It’s time for somebody to make a statement in that locker room. If you act like Diontae Johnson, ain’t no way in hell you’re getting the shot on 4th and 2. If you act like Diontae Johnson, ain’t no way in hell you’re getting an opportunity to score a touchdown,” Clark said, visibly frustrated with his former team, according to video via ESPN.
In Clark’s rant, he somehow made the case for George Pickens to be the guy who gets that look in that situation. While that might be right, how Clark got to that point is strange. He blasts Johnson for his attitude and how he acts, which is fair. Throughout his career in Pittsburgh Johnson has had some issues with those emotions.
But it’s not as if Pickens has been a poster child for how to act and conduct oneself with the proper attitude, especially in bad times.
“If we ain’t gonna be good anyway, at least be who we are supposed to be a team that’s going to be held accountable, a team that’s gonna show up every day, every play, and give everything they got, whether they’re good enough or not,” Clark added. “And for sure as hell, we ain’t going to reward the people that don’t.”
It seems as though Clark’s comments were sparked by the rather damning comments that star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick made after the game to ESPN, calling out the Steelers for not putting in the work and just expecting to make plays because they are the Black and Gold.
Seems like there is a major culture problem in the locker room, which is rather concerning for Pittsburgh. It’s frustrating for all parties involved, from leaders in the locker room, to former players and even the media. Things are feeling very, very stale in Pittsburgh, and things are starting to spiral — fast.
