Are the Steelers talking to WR Diontae Johnson about signing an extension?
Because that seems to be the thing general manager Omar Khan struggled not to say. Addressing a conversation about Johnson, he began to say “we’re having conversations”. He didn’t finish the thought, however, catching himself midstream. Then he said that he would not comment on specific negotiations.
A 2019 third-round draft pick, Johnson is the only wide receiver the Steelers signed to a second contract since Antonio Brown. He agreed to a two-year, $36,710,000 extension in 2022, which runs through the 2024 season. If the Steelers don’t sign him to an extension now, he is free to reach free agency in 2015.
Of course, many fans want that to happen. Rather, many fans actually want the Steelers to trade Johnson now and get what they can. That’s not going to happen, and Khan may have made that even clearer. It’s quite possible he stopped himself from saying they’re in talks about the framework of an extension.
Even if they are, that doesn’t mean a deal is imminent. Khan also said that these extension talks tend to occur late in the offseason, which is true enough. Johnson signed his extension on August 4, for example, already into training camp. The Steelers are like most teams. They talk extensions in the summer.
Another caveat here is an obvious point. Talks don’t mean a done deal. All that means is the two sides agree in principle to the hypothetical of continuing to work together. They can talk all they want but it amounts to nothing without a signed contract for Johnson.
And the Steelers still have all of free agency and the draft to worry about in between. They didn’t even sign Minkah Fitzpatrick to an extension until after the draft. Most teams do very few extension deals at this time of the year, as Johnson knows. They want to wait and see what the room looks like first, among other reasons.
Still, the hint that they may have these conversations is significant. I imagine many assumed the Steelers were preparing to move on from Diontae Johnson after this season. He may very well still walk after this season, but perhaps not for a lack of effort on Pittsburgh’s part.
The Steelers’ 2023 season has been put out of its misery, ending as so many have before in recent years: a disappointing, blowout playoff loss. The only change-up lately is when they miss the playoffs altogether. But with the Buffalo Bills stamping them out in the Wildcard Round, they have another long offseason ahead.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Is Kenny Pickett the guy? Will he get another season’s reprieve without a serious challenge? How will the team address the depth chart? Do they re-sign Mason Rudolph, one of few significant unrestricted free agents?
The Steelers are swirling with more questions this offseason than usual, frankly, though the major free agent list is less substantial than usual. It’s just a matter of…what happens next? Where do they go from here? How do they find the way forward?
