Steelers Elevate former Broncos WR for Monday Night Football
The Pittsburgh Steelers have elevated wide receiver Brandon Johnson from the practice squad to the 53-man roster for Monday night’s game against the New York Giants. It’s Johnson’s third elevation, which is the limit in a season.
Johnson will appear in his third game this season. He played in the Week 5 game against the Dallas Cowboys and the Week 7 game against the New York Jets. He caught one pass for nine yards against Dallas.
Johnson spent the last two seasons with the Denver Broncos, recording 25 catches for 326 yards and five touchdowns. He was cut on Tuesday as part of the Broncos’ trim down from 91 to 53 players.
Steelers wide receiver coach Zach Azzanni recruited Johnson when he was the recruiting coordinator/receivers coach at the University of Tennessee. Azzanni was also with the Denver Broncos when Johnson signed with the club as an undrafted free agent in 2022.
According to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, the Broncos tried to bring Johnson back to their practice squad but he chose to go with the Steelers due to his strong connection with Azzanni and quarterback Russell Wilson.
In four seasons at Tennessee, Johnson totaled 79 receptions for 969 yards and one receiving touchdown to go along with a punt return touchdown in his time as a Volunteer. Johnson transferred to UCF for the 2021 season. He recorded 38 receptions for 565 yards and a team-leading 11 receiving touchdowns. Johnson, who stands at 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, ran a 4.61 40-yard dash at his UCF Pro Day in 2022.
In Week 2 of the 2023 season against the Washington Commanders, with the Broncos trailing 35–27 with 3 seconds remaining in regulation, Johnson hauled in a 50-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass from Russell Wilson as time expired. The Broncos ended up losing after a failed two-point conversion, however. Johnson was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 28 after suffering a hamstring injury in practice. He was activated on December 2. He finished the 2023 season with 19 receptions for 284 yards and four receiving touchdowns in 13 games and two starts.
Johnson’s cousin is former Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots wide receiver Chad Johnson. Brandon Johnson’s dad, Charles Johnson, also played in the MLB. He was a catcher for six different teams, most notably with the Marlins.
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