Steelers fans created a completely fake Diontae Johnson controversy

January 12, 2023 ndowd

Pittsburgh Steelers fans created a controversy surrounding wide receiver Diontae Johnson, convinced that he was unhappy with the team.

The Pittsburgh Steelers finished the season with a 9-8 record, but just missed out on the playoffs. Even so, they rebounded from a 2-6 record and avoided having Mike Tomlin have his first losing season as head coach of the team. Now, there’s hope entering the offseason that the Steelers could build off of this season, especially around rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett.

As any fanbase does, Steelers fans looked at the social media accounts of players and see who they are following. Pittsburgh fans noticed that wide receiver Diontae Johnson doesn’t follow the team on social media. So, some decided that they were completely done with the receiver and convinced themselves that the offense is better off without him.

Steelers fans create fake controversy surrounding wide receiver Diontae Johnson

There were tweets from those who expressed their desire for the Steelers to move on from Johnson, while others defended Johnson and mocked those who want him gone.

Am I the only Steelers fan that’s getting tired of Diontae Johnson’s bullshit?

— STEELERS 9-8 (@DevinBushFan) January 11, 2023

Not sure what yinz think you’re lookin’ at, but the Steelers offense is significantly better WITH Diontae Johnson than without.

— Dave Dameshek (@Dameshek) January 11, 2023

For those #Steelers fans wanting to see Diontae Johnson gone, if you think finding a replacement for him will be easy you’re crazy. He gets open better than every WR in the NFL-his drop rate is lower than most top WRs.

Careful what you ask for. Losing him will hurt. A lot.

— Steelers Takeaways 🌗 (@PittsburghSport) January 11, 2023

People REALLY made this non-talking point, this non-issue ANOTHER THING to complain about when it comes to Diontae Johnson.

I would LOVE for him to leave so another franchise can actually appreciate him and not hate him for no reason. https://t.co/Oa4QDVPcn4

— Bernard Oliver (@boliver36) January 11, 2023

Here’s the thing about Johnson not following the Steelers on social media — this isn’t new.

Last offseason, Johnson didn’t follow the team as he was in negotiations with the team for a new contract. Of course, the two sides ultimately agreed to a two-year, $36.7 million contract extension. He hasn’t followed them back since this.

It appears that Diontae Johnson never followed the Steelers back after his contract drama last offseason

Think we can put that story to bed

— Michael Beck (@MichaelBeck56) January 11, 2023

This is far from a new story. Johnson never followed the team back. That did change on Wednesday, however, as Johnson did follow the Steelers on Instagram and Twitter.

This season, Johnson was Pittsburgh’s leading receiver in multiple categories. He recorded 86 receptions for 882 yards on 147 targets, all of which were team-highs. While Johnson did lead in these categories, Johnson didn’t log a receiving touchdown this season.