Steelers’ Johnson: ‘Hell yeah’ I’ll play after bye

Brooke Pryor, ESPN Staff WriterOct 10, 2023, 02:46 PM ET
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- Previously covered the Kansas City Chiefs for the Kansas City Star and Oklahoma University for the Oklahoman.

PITTSBURGH — Wide receiver Diontae Johnson was emphatic that he would play in the Week 7 game against the Los Angeles Rams when the Pittsburgh Steelers return from their bye.

“Hell yeah, I’m coming back,” Johnson said. “I’ve been working my behind off these last three, four weeks. Today was one of those days to see how far I’ve come along. Everything looked great out there to them. I feel completely great and healthy. I would say I’m ready for Monday when we come back to start getting back to work.”

Johnson has been on injured reserve since suffering a hamstring injury in the Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Johnson played just 26 snaps before exiting with the injury, recording three catches on six targets for 48 yards. He suffered the injury on his longest reception of the afternoon, a 26-yard catch-and-run early in the third quarter.

“I feel 100 percent right now,” Johnson said. “The trainers, I appreciate them for just pushing me through that whole process, keeping my head level, not coming in here down and stuff like that. I always had a positive attitude when I came here, and I was ready to work. Whatever they threw at me, I was going to do what I had to do to get it done.”

Because he’s returning from injury, Johnson isn’t sure if he’ll spend the bye week working in Pittsburgh or get away for a few days.

While IR rules prevented him from playing in the Week 5 win against the Baltimore Ravens, Johnson said he wouldn’t have been able to play in that game.

“I’d probably say I was probably like 85 [percent], but I wouldn’t be able to give my full a 100 percent like I would,” he said. “I’m there now though.”

Though Johnson was the team’s leading receiver a season ago with 882 yards, he didn’t score a single touchdown. In Johnson’s absence this season, the Steelers, who enter the bye atop the AFC North, have struggled to consistently move the ball and have only scored five passing touchdowns in five games. The Steelers’ offense also ranks in the bottom 10 of passing yards through five games, with just 1,045 yards on 98 receptions.

“[I’m] adding that spark that we need,” Johnson said, emphasizing his ability to pick up yards after catch. “Not saying that we don’t have it, but like I said, just adding that spark, and once you add that spark, everybody else going to get their spark too.

“It’s kind of everybody feeding off each other out there. So I know me and [George Pickens] feed off each other out there. He’ll make a play, I’ll make a play. So I’m happy to get things back to where they used to be.”