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Mike Tomlin provided former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson with some extra motivation ahead of a matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. The coach shaded his old player for having a diminished role with his new squad.
Johnson played in Pittsburgh for five seasons. He was a focal point in the offense, racking up 4,363 yards and 25 scores. Three times he led the team in catches. His production has fallen off immensely since leaving the Steel City.
The wideout landed with the Carolina Panthers in 2024 following a trade, which many claimed he demanded. Two months into his first season with his new squad, he was dealt again, this time landing back in the AFC North.
The Ravens picked Johnson up in hopes of bolstering their receiving corps. To this point, he’s been largely unused.
With Baltimore, Diontae Johnson’s caught just one pass for six yards across two games. Mike Tomlin made sure to remind him of that pedestrian production in his most recent press conference!
“To be honest with you, I haven’t though a lot about him.” the Pittsburgh head coach said. “He’s not on a lot of their video, so, at this stage in the week I don’t know that I’ve weighed what he might mean to the matchup. They’ve got more significant pieces with larger roles that occupy my attention.”
#Steelers Mike Tomlin on Diontae Johnson w Ravens
‘Haven’t thought a lot about him’ pic.twitter.com/iwzpZxVhTw— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) November 12, 2024
Mike Tomlin slyly suggested that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. That’s certainly been the case this year for Diontae Johnson.
While he hasn’t seen the ball much in Baltimore, he was productive in his short stint with Carolina. We’ll see if his role evolves as the season continues. The Ravens might have added motivation to provide him targets when they take on the rival Steelers this Sunday.