Getty Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson reacts on the sideline.
T
he Pittsburgh Steelers just can’t find a way to get on the good side of the NFL’s referees. The NFL fined wide receiver Diontae Johnson $25,000 for blasting the officiating crew for what he labeled as biased officiating that costed them a win over Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 29.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin first spoke on their dynamics with the refs after narrowly getting by the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6. Tomlin said that he, along with the rest of the team needed to be better in not racking up penalties and forcing the refs’ hands.
Fast forward to the aftermath of Week 7. The Steelers have been on the receiving end of more calls that have worked against them. This time, it actually costed them a needed win.
Johnson Touting Refs’ Calls as ‘Terrible’ & ‘Stupid’ Worth $25,000
ESPN’s Brook Pryor shared this Johnson soundbite regarding his frustrations:
“They was calling some stupid stuff,” Johnson said after the 20-10 loss. “They should get fined for calling bad, making worse, terrible calls and stuff like that. That’s how pissed I am. They cost us the game. I don’t care what nobody say. They cost us the game.”
Johnson continued: “[The officials] wanted [the Jaguars] to win, bro. They was calling, everything was in their favor. They was getting every little call, but it is what it is.”
In the game, Pittsburgh racked up 6 penalties — the same as the Jaguars. The refs actually nabbed Jacksonville for more calls in the fourth quarter. Though, Pittsburgh’s two penalties inside of three minutes further sullied any chance at a late-game rally.
Johnson ought to be more frustrated with the two interceptions backup QB Mitch Trubitsky threw on their final two plays.
Nevertheless, Johnson mounting over with discontent was likely caused by more than just flags being thrown. Kenny Pickett going down with a rib injury in the first half was a big blow to the team. Johnson and the Steelers need to put more onus on not ruffling the refs’ feathers whether on the field or off of it.
Johnson’s History With Fines & Controversial Incidents
With the way the NFL has gone in recent years, Johnson’s comments were an obvious provocation for a fine to be dished out. His fire has been needed for a Steelers offense that has been on the up-and-up following weeks of Matt Canada criticism. He just needs to let it not kindle too strong.
Collectively, the Steelers need to quell their attitudes to prevent unnecessary whistles on the field and money coming out of their pockets.
Historically, Johnson has not taken too many hits to his bank account. He was fined for taunting back in 2022. Johnson also reportedly punched Trubisky in the face in a locker room brouhaha that same year. He has channeled the rest of his competitive fervor toward great play for the black and gold.
Fortunately, the Steelers rebounded with a 20-16 win over the Tennessee Titans on Thursday behind Johnson’s 90 REC yards and 1 REC TD despite a whopping 10 penalties that costed them 80 yards on the day. How they respond in their next outing will give coach Tomlin a better feel for whether or not he needs to reel his guys in and ensure that the aforementioned mistakes don’t prevent them from capturing the AFC South crown.