Former Steelers WR Diontae Johnson Has Selfish Comments Put On Blast Ahead Of Week 11 Showdown

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens will compete in a massive AFC North battle in Week 11. Both teams have seven wins, but Mike Tomlin and co. have had a bye week already, which leaves them solely in first place in the division entering the matchup. There has been plenty of build up in the week of the preparation because of the intense games that the rivalry produces year in and year out. It seems like every season when the two franchises square off, a prominent figure returns to play against his former team. The two big names in 2024 are Patrick Queen for the Steelers and Diontae Johnson for the Ravens.

Queen signed a three-year, $41 million deal with Pittsburgh in free agency and probably had this game circled on his calendar when the NFL released the schedule in May. Johnson, however, was a member of the Carolina Panthers at the time, after the Steelers dealt him to the NFC foe in March. It was never expected that he would face off against his former team in 2024 until the Ravens acquired the wideout as the trade deadline neared.

It seemed as if the relationship between Johnson and Pittsburgh was nearing an end after a 2023 campaign that saw the pass-catcher deal with an injury, as well as pushback after several questionable locker room interviews. He was often looked at by external parties as a locker room distraction and selfish. That belief was validated on Tuesday when Johnson was asked about his favorite moment in the Steelers-Ravens rivalry during his time in Pittsburgh.

"I remember one game when the Ravens came in 2021," Johnson told the media. "I had a good game that game. I had two touchdowns. That's what I remember."

Rather than bringing up one or a number of team-centric moments that would have been accepted better by fans and the media alike, Johnson took the selfish route and that wasn't received well by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter, Brian Batko.

This isn't totally relevant to the two teams' matchup in Week 11, but it gives some more context as to how Johnson thinks of himself first, rather than the team he is playing for. Batko's criticism is fair and warrants discussion.

Johnson is expected to get a bigger workload in Week 11 as it will be his third game suited up in a Ravens uniform. There are other play-makers to worry about for Tomlin and the coaching staff, but Johnson is still a shifty route-runner that could do some damage if given the chance. The Steelers won't be able to let anything or anyone slip through the cracks on Sunday afternoon.

Johnson provided some good memories for Steelers fans and the game in which he was referring to was in the first week of December back in 2021. Pittsburgh defeated Baltimore by a score of 20-19 and the wideout hauled in eight catches for 105 yards and two scores. Batko's points still hold true. A team-first player typically will remember individual moments, but not broadcast them, and instead, publicly acknowledge group achievements.

Steelers Reaping The Rewards Of Johnson Trade

Pittsburgh has had few locker room distractions in 2024, which is certainly a plus, but dealing Johnson to the Panthers also landed the franchise Donte Jackson. The cornerback has been the perfect complement to Joey Porter Jr., allowing for some stability in the secondary. The receiving corps in the Steel City has been put into question, but a record of 7-2 and a lead in the AFC North doesn't have anyone missing Johnson and his antics.

Do you think that the Steelers traded Johnson because of his selfishness? Let us know in the comments below!

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