NFL Rumors: Vikings reinforcements, Steelers injury gets worse, Jets QB stubbornness
- Pittsburgh Steelers without a big-name offensive player for the next month
- Minnesota Vikings bring in some offensive line help
- New York Jets not panicking over Zach Wilson just yet
By Scott Rogust
NFL rumors: Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson hits the injured reserve
The Pittsburgh Steelers had a season-opener to forget last weekend. Facing off against the San Francisco 49ers, the Steelers' offense didn't live up to the hype they had in the preseason, while the defense also struggled. The end result? A 30-7 loss.
During the loss, the Steelers lost wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who exited the game due to a hamstring injury. ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that the expectation is that Johnson could miss "a few weeks" due to the injury. The Steelers have just made a move that made it official.
Ahead of the team's Week 2 game against the Cleveland Browns on Monday night, the Steelers placed Johnson on the injured reserve. With that, Johnson will be sidelined for a minimum of four games.
The #Steelers placed WR Diontae Johnson on Injured Reserve, meaning he’s out 4 games.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 18, 2023
The injury took place on a 26-yard catch and run against the 49ers. As he made a cut, Johnson said that his hamstring gave out on him.
"I just put my foot in the ground," Johnson said, h/t ESPN's Brooke Pryor. "Fluke incident, it just gave out on me. I can't do nothing about that."
With Johnson out for the next four games, expect George Pickens to receive a ton more attention, from both quarterback Kenny Pickett and the opposing defensive backs. With that, expect Allen Robinson and Calvin Austin III to receive an uptick in targets.
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