Mike Tomlin gives Diontae Johnson the bulletin board material he needs ahead of revenge match

The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for a divisional matchup against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday. For both teams, this game could carry significant playoff implications.

The AFC North rivals have a rich and storied history that is rife with animosity and hatred. Both sides once built fear-invoking defenses that patrolled the field with all-time greats like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu. Those days may be gone, but there is no love lost between the bitter rivals.

The Steelers and Ravens will both enter their grudge match vying for first place in the division. The Steelers currently sit atop the perch with a 7-2 record, while the Ravens have rebounded from a slow start and improved to a 7-3 record.

Both teams have retooled their rosters since they last clashed in 2023, and both sides have convinced a player to cross enemy lines. After the Steelers signed linebacker Patrick Queen to the richest free agency contract in franchise history, the Ravens managed to swing a midseason trade to acquire former Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson. 

Mike Tomlin subtly roasted Diontae Johnson before Ravens matchup

During a press conference on Tuesday, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about his game plan for Johnson in what could be a revenge game.

“To be honest with you, I hadn't thought a lot about it,” Tomlin told reporters. “He's not on a lot of their video, and so at this stage of the week, I don't know that I've weighed what he might mean to the matchup. They’ve got more significant pieces with larger roles that are occupying my attention at this part of the week.”

Tomlin certainly doesn’t sound like a coach who is on good terms with his former player.

The Steelers traded Johnson to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson during the offseason. Pittsburgh was reportedly worried that Johnson’s character concerns would be a negative influence on budding star wide receiver George Pickens.

Johnson was criticized for his lack of effort during the 2023 season, and incidents with his teammates became commonplace near the end of his tenure in Pittsburgh. The disgruntled wideout had a heated halftime argument with quarterback Mitch Trubisky during the 2022 season, and he had a heated post-game argument with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick following a Week 11 loss in 2023.

Just a few months later, Johnson returned to the AFC North. The Panthers traded Johnson to the Ravens after Carolina’s mounting losses and offensive struggles led to frustration. The Ravens were able to acquire the talented wideout and Carolina's 2025 sixth-round pick in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round pick.

The Steelers drafted Johnson in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The 28-year-old wideout amassed 4,363 yards and 25 touchdowns during his five seasons in Pittsburgh. Despite Carolina's woeful offense, Johnson still managed to record 30 catches for 357 receiving yards and three touchdowns through seven games. 

In his two games since arriving in Baltimore, Johnson has recorded just one catch on two targets for six yards. He’ll look to have his first breakout game as a Raven against the team that first traded him out of the division just a few months ago.