The Pittsburgh Steelers have much to prove this season and they aren't the only ones. A number of former players who have left the organization, including Diontae Johnson, feel like they are fighting for their football lives.
Johnson went to the Carolina Panthers at the start of the offseason as a part of a trade that included cornerback Donte Jackson. A former Pro Bowler, Johnson has struggled in recent years. Always willing to make a case for himself, he told the media during a Panthers press conference that he packed the chip on his shoulder and brought it to the South.
He may be trying to do some damage control from his last couple of years in Pittsburgh, where Johnson was labeled a bit of a malcontent. Now, he hopes to use that chip and the fire in his belly to win his teammates and the fans over.
"Just got to take it one day at a time with each and everybody. Just kind of rally around them, show them that I'm not just standoffish or whatever. Just kind of be me around them so they can feel comfortable with me out there."
Being overlooked isn't new to Johnson. He told reporters that it started when he was in high school. He didn't get the college offers he felt he deserved and ended up playing for Toledo.
He knew he would have to step up at Toledo to get to the pros; he said he did and let his play speak for itself. He said he is doing that same thing now in Carolina, feeling that as a veteran, he got passed over by teams for younger players, which he thinks is a mistake.
"I'm a diamond in the rough and I'm just going to continue to keep elevating. I carry that chip wherever I go 'cause I still get overlooked. I feel like I don't get the respect I deserve sometimes, so that just makes me go harder. I'm going to keep putting it on film and proving to the league that I'm one of the best separators out there."
Johnson improved yearly since 2019, arguably peaking in 2021 when he went to the Pro Bowl. But the 2022 season, possibly in part because of lousy play-calling and maybe the addition of quarterback Kenny Pickett, it signaled the start of a change for Johnson.
In 2022, he had the dubious honor of having the most receptions without a touchdown in a season, with 86. The 2023 season did not start well. He injured a hamstring at the start of the year and lost a month of play. The weak offensive schemes only added to the burden, and Johnson's frustrations bubbled to the surface.
Johnson is entering a contract year and needs to impress in Carolina to get paid in 2025. He can't afford to fall short with the wide receiver contracts exploding elsewhere around the league.
Steelers' Former WR Diontae Johnson And Another Young Quarterback
Ben Roethlisberger was still under center when the Steelers drafted Johnson, which is likely part of why the young wide receiver started developing so well. Just as he hit his stride, Roethlisberger retired, and it felt like Johnson's slump could at least be partially attributed to a weak offense and an inexperienced quarterback in Pickett.
While excited to be in Carolina, Johnson said he isn't knocking what he had in Pittsburgh. He appreciated the quarterbacks he worked with in the Steel City, but he is excited to work with a young quarterback in Bryce Young and hopes that the two will make each other better. Johnson said he told Young he can count on him to be where he is meant to be.
