The Pittsburgh Steelers will, of course, be without DK Metcalf for their ultra-important Week 17 game in Cleveland on Sunday. So they brought back a familiar face for wideout depth.
Pittsburgh signed Brandon Johnson to its practice squad to fill in for Metcalf, who was suspended two games for his altercation with a fan Sunday in Detroit.
Metcalf is the Steelers’ No. 1 receiver and leads them with 850 yards and six touchdowns. But he only had 42 yards against the Detroit Lions in the Steelers’ 29-24 win, despite Aaron Rodgers’ 266 passing yards.
The Steelers (9-6) lead the Baltimore Ravens (7-8) by two games with two to play and can clinch the AFC North with either a win or a Ravens loss against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night.
Brandon Johnson Played For The Steelers In 2024
Whether or not Johnson suits up Sunday, he has familiarity Arthur Smith’s offense and could slide right into Pittsburgh’s No. 5 receiver spot or play on special teams.
The 6-2, 195-pound receiver had one catch for nine yards in 2024 for the Steelers. He played 19 snaps for the Steelers a season ago after starting his career with two seasons with the Denver Broncos.
Johnson has 26 catches for 335 yards over his three seasons but has been an adept red-zone target in his career. He has five career touchdowns, four of which came in 19 receptions with the Broncos in 2023.
Johnson has bounced between the Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers this year. But the Bucs waived Johnson on Dec. 15, and with Metcalf not on the roster for the rest of the regular season and Calvin Austin III questionable to play Sunday with a hamstring injury, the Steelers needed a quick-study receiver.
The Steelers May Have Trouble Throwing The Ball Sunday In Cleveland
Rodgers had one of his most productive passing days in a Steelers uniform in Detroit on Sunday and has topped 260 yards in two of Pittsburgh’s past three games.
But a regression is likely against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Despite their 3-12 record, the Browns pass defense is No. 1 in the NFL and has been especially dominant in home games where they are allowing 127.8 passing yards per game and have two wins and four one-score losses.
Josh Allen, who has been playing like the league’s MVP throughout December, was running for his life in the Buffalo Bills‘ three-point win in Cleveland on Sunday. He finished with 130 passing yards and did not throw a touchdown for only the third time this season.
So Rodgers could be in for a tough afternoon, especially with NFL Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner Myles Garrett just one full sack away from breaking T.J. Watt and Michael Strahan’s single-season record. Rodgers has been sacked at least once in six of Pittsburgh’s past seven games.
The Steelers, of course, lost outright in Cleveland to Jameis Winston in 2024, in a memorable game that ended amid snowfall. Though snow is unlikely, inclement weather could come into play Sunday, since rain is likely throughout the afternoon at Huntington Bank Field.
All that, and Cleveland’s 14th-ranked run defense, sets things up for Kenneth Gainwell and/or Jaylen Warren to run wild Sunday.
Steelers Add Familiar Face To Replace Suspended Wide Receiver DK Metcalf