After missing four of six voluntary OTA sessions over the past two weeks, Diontae Johnson reported to mandatory Steelers minicamp and participated in practice Tuesday, even without a new contract.
Johnson, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract, has been seeking a new deal ahead of the 2022 season. He's witnessed some of the game's top receivers such as Tyreek Hill, Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs and A.J. Brown sign new contracts this offseason that carry an average salary well over $20 million.
Johnson tied for fifth in the league with 107 receptions and finished 10th with 1,161 yards last season, putting him in a similar class with the biggest names on the market.
"It's not like you don't see it. You see it," Johnson said Monday as the Steelers opened their minicamp here at the UPMC-Rooney Sports Complex. "The bell rings in your head. Such and such got this, such and such got that. I try not to look at that. ... My time is gonna come. I'm just being patient. If it comes this year, it's a blessing. It if doesn't, just keep working."
Without a new contract, Johnson is set to earn $2.79 million in the fourth and final year of his rookie contract. While he didn't dodge any contract questions, Johnson maintained that it's not his primary focus right now. In fact, he even said he doesn't have a number in mind regarding a new deal.
"I'm just here to work, do what I'm told and get the job done," Johnson said. "That's pretty much my focus; being around the guys."
Part of that focus has been immersing himself in Matt Canada's unhinged offense and developing rapport with the new quarterbacks. In particular, Johnson has enjoyed building a foundation with newcomer Mitch Trubisky.
"I'm really picking Mitch's brain, trying to build that relationship with him," Johnson said. "That's what is most exciting to me, just taking it a day at a time with Mitch. When we are in practice, if the ball is coming my way, whatever play it is, just try to show that communication that we do have at the time and in the moment. I want to show that it's going to continue to grow for everybody on the offense."
Good communication is what had Mike Tomlin excited about the first day of minicamp, especially during two-minute drills. Johnson's leadership by example is something that also stood out to Tomlin, which can be very valuable for a receiving corps including rookies like George Pickens and Calvin Austin III.
"Diontae is not a big talker, he's more of a doer," Tomlin said. "I can appreciate that and I'm aligned with that. Just putting his head down every day, he's going to provide quality examples about how to go to work and it's gonna aid guys like Pickens in the maturation process because he gives visual examples of what he needs to do and how he needs to do it."
As far as Johnson's presence at minicamp, Tomlin was clear and succinct about what it means to have him here with the team.
"They're all here."
Johnson has continuously improved over the course of his first three years in the NFL, and took a significant step forward last year. He became the fourth receiver in Steelers history -- joining Antonio Brown, Hines Ward and JuJu Smith-Schuster -- to record at least 100 catches and 1,000 yards in the same season. More importantly, Johnson took a significant step forward after leading the NFL with 13 drops in 2020, dropping only five passes last season while being targeted 25 times more than the previous year.
Now with his numbers ranking with the best in the league, it's remains to be seen how far he'll go to get a new contract. Johnson did not reveal if he has any plans to hold out by the time training camp comes along, whether it be a traditional holdout or something similar to what T.J. Watt did prior to signing his four-year, $112 million deal.
But a holdout is unlikely. Under the terms of the CBA, players who are under contract who skip mandatory sessions such as minicamps or training camp must be fined $40,000 per day. And the fines cannot be waived if and when a new contract is signed.
"I'm not really worried about that. There's a lot of stuff going on out there, saying certain stuff about me," Johnson said. "At the end of the day, I can just move forward and control what I can control. I want to be here. I'm patient. I'm gonna keep working. My agent is gonna do what he does with that situation. I'm not trying to focus on that."
