Pittsburgh Steelers re-sign former Penn State defensive standout

The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to re-sign one of their linebackers from Penn State to a new, one-year restricted free agent contract. Marcus Allen will be returning to the Steelers for his fifth season after being drafted by the Steelers in 2018. Over the past two seasons, Allen has seen playing time in 30 games and become an important part of Pittsburgh’s depth at the position.

Steelers re-sign Penn State’s Marcus Allen

Allen was selected with the 148th pick of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Steelers after four full seasons with the Nittany Lions at safety. While he hasn’t quite found a starting role at the NFL level yet, his biggest season so far came in 2020 as he appeared in 14 games and had two starts for the Steelers. He finished the 2020 season with 24 tackles, two tackles for a loss and two quarterback hits. In 2021, he appeared in 16 games with one start — and finished with seven tackles and six special teams tackles.

The move is great news for Penn State fans of the Steelers, as it keeps the local talent in his home for at least another season. Penn State’s campus is only about 140 miles away from Heinz Field, giving the former Nittany Lions’ star an easier chance to return whenever he needs to.

Dionte Johnson denies sitting out of workouts

While the Steelers manage to secure other parts of their roster, the big news of the week surrounds their star wide receiver Diontae Johnson.

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson is pushing back against a report that he wants a new contract. After local radio host Andrew Fillipponi tweeted that Johnson did not attend the Steelers’ voluntary workout program Monday amidst contract disputes, the wideout responded.

In back-to-back tweets, Johnson refuted Fillipponi’s report, warning fans to not “believe everything you see.”

A third round pick out of Toledo in 2019, Johnson is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract with Pittsburgh in 2022. According to Spotrac, he will make a total of $3.07 million that includes a singing bonus of $283,357. Several other fourth-year receivers such as Terry McLaurin, AJ Brown and Deebo Samuel have also skipped offseason workouts as they await extensions.

On3’s Chandler Vessels contributed to this article.