All Steelers

Diontae Johnson Shares Message From Steelers' Mike Tomlin

The Pittsburgh Steelers head coach told Diontae Johnson he "misses him."

Noah Strackbein

Sep 29, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (5) during pregame warm ups against the Cincinnati Bengals at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Sep 29, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (5) during pregame warm ups against the Cincinnati Bengals at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
In this story:

PITTSBURGH -- Diontae Johnson was on the opposite end of the Pittsburgh Steelers versus Baltimore Ravens rivalry this season, dressing in purple and black instead of black and gold for the firs time in his NFL career.

The wideout, like many offensive players in this 18-16 battle, didn't do much. And his chance at revenge was cut short, or thrown long, with a pass from Lamar Jackson that was just out of arms length near the goal line.

Before the game, though, Johnson and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin shared a moment. Johnson has praised his former team throughout the week, and said it was a special moment getting to see his former coach, as Tomlin told him he "missed him."

"He told me keep going, keep my head up. Stuff like that," Johnson told Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Brian Batko after the game. "That he missed me and stuff. He knew that it's all love whenever I see him. Anybody over there. They did nothing but show me love when I was over there."

Johnson's time as a Steeler came to end this past offseason when he was dealt from Pittsburgh to Carolina in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson. He was traded before the deadline to Baltimore following the Panthers' early-season struggles. Since then, he's played very limited snaps for the Ravens.

The Steelers will see Johnson one more time this season, and will be looking for the same outcome. Next time, though, they may have more tape to watch as the Ravens could look to include the former Pro Bowler in their game plan more and more as the season progresses.

Pittsburgh's win in Week 11 gives them a game and a half lead in the AFC North. They travel to Baltimore in Week 16 for round two of the rivalry.

Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI to get all your daily Pittsburgh Steelers news, interviews, breakdowns and more!

Published
Noah Strackbein
NOAH STRACKBEIN

Noah is the Publisher for All Steelers, Inside the Panthers (InsideThePanthers.com) and Inside the Penguins (InsidethePenguins.com), and is the host of All Steelers Talk (YouTube.com/AllSteelersTalk). A Scranton native, Noah made his way to the Pittsburgh sports scene in 2017. Now, he's pretty much full-yinzer.

Home/News