Steelers Now
Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson recently gave a heartfelt speech to a young group of football players.
“One thing, man. Be yourself, bro. Don’t be scared to be yourself. Stay true to yourself through and through. And your mindset. I’ve been out of the league for a year because my mindset sucked,” Johnson said. “And that’s going to take you a long way: how you carry yourself, your attitude, body language, how you speak to people—all that. Just make sure you’re paying attention to the little things like that. And when you come out on this field, don’t be scared to help one another. Like everybody’s gonna mess up. Everybody'(s) not gonna be perfect. But it’s about what you’re doing to get better on the next rep. 1%, that’s what I tell myself. 1% every day, even if I don’t feel like getting up or doing something. Trying to do something 1% better. Catching, tennis ball drills, foot-placement drills. Whatever it is to make myself better. Like just doing the little details. Once you find that routine that is unique to you, bro. Sky’s the limit for each and every one of y’all. Keep working.”
Johnson worked out for the New York Giants last October but was not signed.
The Cleveland Browns released Johnson in late August last year. The seven-year veteran was with the Browns since signing in late April.
To say the least, things have been rough for Johnson over the last few yeas. He has been traded twice and released three times since the end of the 2023 season.
The Steelers traded Johnson to the Carolina Panthers in March of 2024, and it didn’t take long before he became unhappy with the Panthers, forcing his way out of Carolina.
At the trade deadline, the Panthers dealt him to the Baltimore Ravens. But after a few games in Baltimore with a greatly reduced role, Johnson refused to enter a game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He was suspended for a week, sat out a week and then was released.
At the trade deadline, the Panthers dealt him to the Baltimore Ravens. But after a few games in Baltimore with a greatly reduced role, Johnson refused to enter a game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He was suspended for a week, sat out a week and then was released.
Following Johnson’s release, the Texans claimed him off waivers. Things seemed to go well at first, but he ultimately only lasted two weeks in Houston before he was released again after yet another outburst.
“Diontae Johnson made a scene in the locker room after the game where cigars were literally being smoked and the team was bonding, happy to get a win. It’s very easy to see why [Mike] Tomlin was over him, not Pickens and Baltimore, one of the best organizations in NFL, bailed,” Texans reporter Landry Locker wrote on X.
Johnson’s career is certainly at crossroad right now. Perhaps he’ll get one last chance.
Johnson, 28, was a...
