Steelers WR Diontae Johnson torched for lack of effort vs. Bengals

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4) receiver Diontae Johnson is facing criticism for showcasing a lack of effort during the Week 12 road tilt against the Cincinnati Bengals (5-5) Sunday.

On a first quarter drive down in the red zone, Johnson appeared to be in position to retrieve the football after running back Jaylen Warren put it on the ground. Although the ball bounced near his leg, Johnson glanced at it before turning the other way and walking off rather disinterested. The Bengals recovered the fumble as a result, and Pittsburgh failed to get any points on the promising drive.

Diontae Johnson with the hustle pic.twitter.com/nY8l3PBokj

— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) November 26, 2023

Steelers fans took to X to call out the 27-year-old wideout for his lack of effort on the play.

“Diontae Johnson drops a TD (shocker) then quits on a play while Cincy goes after a fumble. Don’t want him on the field again,” one fan wrote.

It’s a particularly bad look for Johnson, considering he reportedly got into a heated argument with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick in the locker room after this past Sunday’s 13-10 Week 11 loss to the Cleveland Browns (7-3). Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, team veterans Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt broke up the altercation and delivered a message that the team needed to stick together.

Diontae Johnson growing frustrated amid Steelers’ offensive struggles

Johnson had a frustrating day against Cleveland, coming down with just two catches for 16 yards. He was also seen engaging in an animated conversation with head coach Mike Tomlin on the sideline. Johnson reportedly began chirping at coaches on his way to the locker room before Fitzpatrick confronted him.

The Steelers made a big change in the aftermath of the incident, firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada Tuesday. With Canada out, running backs coach Eddie Faulkner is serving as the interim offensive coordinator. Quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan, however, is calling plays.

Asked this week what to expect with Sullivan calling plays, Tomlin kept it simple.

“Hopefully better results,” Tomlin said. “That’s why you make moves. With results in mind — in terms of the feel of that, we formulate plans within our personality based on matchup and venue related things week in and week out. This week will look different than next week and I’m just being transparent with you — we’ve been in this venue a bunch. We understand how significant the venue is in terms of communication and things of that nature. We better be able to streamline some of those things, but we’d be doing those things regardless of the play-caller.”