Ex-NFL GM: Steelers Didn’t Like Diontae Johnson as a Player
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin made it clear during his Tuesday press conference that Diontae Johnson is not a big concern for Sunday’s pivotal division game against the Baltimore Ravens. While it’s true that Johnson is new to the Ravens, Tomlin’s response was viewed as a dig at his former wide receiver.
Former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi believes Tomlin was intentional with his comments. The Steelers traded Johnson to the Carolina Panthers this offseason, and he did not necessarily leave on the best of terms. There were several outbursts in his last two seasons with the team.
“He’s not the least bit worried about this guy at all,” Lombardi said on The Lombardi Line podcast. “Let’s be clear here. He hasn’t seen him on tape. He knows who he is. They didn’t like him as a person, as a player.
“They got rid of him. That’s all you need to know. He’s not fearful of him. Mike Tomlin knows what he’s got to deal with. It’s called Lamar Jackson. It’s called Derrick Henry. It’s called Zay Flowers.”
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk thinks Tomlin was trying to get under Johnson’s skin with his remarks.
“We want volunteers, not hostages. But if you don’t volunteer to be here, screw you. I think that’s just Tomlin being Tomlin,” Florio said on 93.7 The Fan. “That’s my guess, I don’t know that. But, hell, he came out and took a shot at the guy. He’s not worried about the guy. He’s not afraid of the guy. He’s not bashful about stirring the guy up.
“I have a feeling based upon his years with Diontae Johnson, [Mike Tomlin] knows that that’s exactly the comment to make to get under his skin in a bad way, to throw him off, to keep him from coming in and having a big game. Or he’s just not concerned about Diontae Johnson really doing much of anything based upon what they’ve seen on film so far.”
Despite a rocky end to his tenure in the Steel City, Johnson praised the Steelers organization when speaking with the Baltimore media this week.
“Man, I had a great career there. I loved it,” Diontae Johnson said of the Steelers organization, via the Ravens’ official team website. “Great city, people great there. I know what they’re about. I can’t wait to get to Sunday to just be back in that stadium.
“Just being back in that stadium, where it all started, it’s going to be different. I actually have never been in the away locker room [in Pittsburgh], so that’s going to be different for me, but I’m ready to get back there, just to see the good people that I made relationships with, but other than that, it’s a big moment for me.”
Johnson hasn’t made an impact in Baltimore yet, recording just one catch for six yards on two targets in two games. Johnson was with Carolina for only seven games before being traded to the Ravens on Oct. 29.
“They’re working me in there slowly, but, you know, I just go out there, whenever they call my number, going to do my thing,” he said. “So I can’t go in there just expecting a lot. I’m putting a lot of pressure on myself. However the game goes, I’m all for it.”
RELATED: Mike Tomlin Digs Former Steelers WR Diontae Johnson
Alan Saunders provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
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