Diontae Johnson Leaves Practice at Steelers Training Camp

UNITY TWP., Pa. — Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson left practice on Friday with a towel on his head and on a cart. He did not return to practice after walking slowly off the field.

On Thursday, he looked to nearly suffer a leg injury after making a catch on the sideline. He returned shortly after the injury but then limped off following that. Johnson did return and practiced fully.

That injury occurred on a play where Johnson made a top tapping grab on a corner route. While he planted his left leg, the ground came out from under him and his leg slipped forward. That caused him to hurt his leg in an undisclosed manner.

The heat could be a factor here. Johnson looked to be taking in fluids as he went off the field. That could be the cause. It is 91 degrees in Latrobe with a heat index of 101 degrees. Rodney Williams yesterday suffered some heat-related issues and Diontae Johnson could be dealing with that.

The combination of heat and humidity makes for an elevated heat index, and on the practice surface at Chuck Noll Field, retained water in the ground will essentially be boiling off, making the air a thick, sweat-inducing soup for the participants in Friday’s practice session number two.