Diontae Johnson to miss ‘a few weeks’ with hamstring injury
The Pittsburgh Steelers looked bad against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1. Now, things have gotten worse as it was revealed that wide receiver Diontae Johnson might miss “a few weeks,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Johnson left the game at the beginning of the third quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return. It now appears the hamstring injury might be more serious than expected.
Steelers’ WR Diontae Johnson is expected to be sidelined “a few weeks” due to the hamstring injury he suffered Sunday vs. the 49ers, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 12, 2023
A hamstring is not an ideal injury, especially for a wide receiver–which usually means a player will miss a couple of weeks and, worse than that, has a solid chance for re-injury.
Johnson was looking to bounce back in 2023 after a disappointing 2022 when he could not find the end zone last year. Unfortunately, he was open for a touchdown in week one until quarterback Kenny Pickett flat-out missed him.
It will now take a couple of weeks to see if Johnson can get back on track in 2023. Hopefully, he will be good to go and stay healthy for the remainder of the season. Also, maybe Kenny Pickett–who was shaky Sunday–will be playing better by the time Johnson returns.
Diontae Johnson was a major part of the Steelers offense. Now, someone will have to step up in his absence. Pittsburgh still has George Pickens and a veteran Allen Robinson II, who looked good in Week 1, but they will need production from one of their backups for the foreseeable future.
Second-year wide receiver Calvin Austin is an option, losing his first year due to injury, but now the speedy small receiver is back healthy. Next, the Steelers have Gunner Olszewski, who has been used as a wide receiver and return man for his career.
Honestly, don’t be surprised if Pickett targets tight ends Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington a lot more. Who do you think steps up? Let us know in the comments!
***
SUBSCRIBE to the Vendetta YouTube Channel!
SHOP for Vendetta Merch!
SUPPORT Vendetta on Patreon!
CHECK OUT our Vendetta NFL Content Here.
