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Head coach Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers got the better of the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11 once again, stifling their high-octane offense led by reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.
Among the Ravens that struggled to get something going was former Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who finished with zero catches off two targets. After the game, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Brian Batko caught up with Johnson in the locker room, and the wideout revealed Tomlin’s message to him following his Acrisure Stadium return.
Diontae Johnson on his exchange with Mike Tomlin postgame and Steelers fans reaction to him being back in Pittsburgh with the Ravens: t.co/MX6Vgjz04K
“He told me to keep going, keep my head up, stuff like that. That he missed me and stuff,” Johnson shared after a bellowing laugh. “So, you know it’s all love whenever I see him.”
The former Steeler added that the same goes for “anybody” that he knew from his days in Pittsburgh.
“They did nothing but show me love when I was here,” Johnson noted, handling the moment with class. He appeared to be in good spirits, despite the loss and the lack of catches versus his old team.
Ravens WR Diontae Johnson Says Steelers Fans Were ‘Talking Crazy’ During Week 11
With a smile, Johnson also acknowledged that the Steelers fanbase was not quite as polite as Tomlin and his former teammates.
“They was talking crazy,” he relayed with a chuckle.
When Batko asked what fans were saying in particular, Johnson mimicked a loud booing sound. He also repeated a couple of the comments he heard from the audience.
“Yo, you on the wrong team… them colors look bad on you,” the wide receiver quoted before joking that he “can’t do nothing” about the various trades that sent him to Baltimore. “This is where I’m at right now,” Johnson stated with a shrug.
The new rival wideout told Batko that he mostly “tuned out” any and all trash talk from Steelers fans on November 17. He also expressed that “it was good” to catch up with everybody in Week 11.
Diontae Johnson Has Yet to Fit Into Ravens Offense
It’s been a rough season for Johnson away from the Steelers organization and so far, Pittsburgh looks very wise to have traded him to the Carolina Panthers in the first place.
Since leaving the Steelers, Johnson’s best outing was an 8 reception, 122-yard performance with the Panthers that also included a touchdown. He put together two more Carolina efforts with 75 receiving yards or greater before being slowed by a nagging rib injury and trade rumors.
Eventually, Johnson was shipped to the Ravens ahead of the trade deadline, netting a pick swap in 2025. Along with Johnson, Carolina sent a 2025 sixth-round draft pick in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick. So far, the late-round flyer has been a disaster in terms of production.
Through three weeks, Johnson has just 1 catch for 6 receiving yards. Jackson has only targeted him 4 times over that stretch, as the newcomer has failed to gain the trust of the Ravens QB.
Now, there’s still time for all that to change. As the season progresses, it’s possible that Johnson will gain more chemistry with Jackson and Baltimore’s offensive system.
It’s also possible that he’ll never turn into a huge hit with the Ravens, and he’ll subsequently sign elsewhere in 2025 when he hits the open market as a free agent. As a reminder, the Steelers sent the Panthers Johnson and a seventh-round draft pick for cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth-round pick.
Donte Jackson has started all 10 games for Pittsburgh and has quickly become an integral part of the defense, with 3 interceptions and 6 pass breakups. Needless to say, the Johnson trade has been a resounding success for Steelers general manager Omar Khan.
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Diontae Johnson Dishes on Mike Tomlin Convo After Steelers-Ravens