Former Steelers Pro Bowler Explains Post-Pittsburgh Problems: ‘I Checked Out Mentally’

Diontae Johnson is back in the AFC North, hoping it goes much better this time than it did last season with the Ravens.

Quick recap: The Steelers traded Johnson to the Panthers in March of 2024, then Carolina shipped him in October to Baltimore before the NFL trade deadline.

He played in a total of four games for the Ravens, recording just one reception. The lowlight came in Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles, when he refused to enter the game. Baltimore slapped Johnson with a one-game suspension then waived him two weeks later.

Johnson joined the “Sport and Suits” podcast last week and addressed what went wrong. “I checked out mentally,” Johnson admitted. “I wasn’t gettng into like no run plays, no like passing plays. No nothing.”

“It was cold, I’m on the sideline just standing there like just going to the heater back and forth just waiting to hear my name called,” Johnson continued. “End of third, going into the fourth they’re like ‘Tae, we need you.’ I’m like ‘Nah, I don’t think it’s a good idea for me.’ Like I was already thinking about my legs, I don’t want to go out there and put bad stuff on film. It’s not like I didn’t want to go into the game, but leading up to this point I’d already been through so much.”

After leaving Baltimore, Johnson joined the Texans, who claimed the wideout off waivers. He played one game in Houston, pulling down two receptions.

Johnson is trying to resurrect his career this year with the Browns, with whom he signed in May. His best years in the NFL came in a Steelers uniform, which he wore for five seasons. In 2021, Johnson set career highs in receptions (107), yards (1,161) and receiving touchdowns (8).

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