Another wide receiver hit the jackpot this offseason, as Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson has agreed to a two-year, $36.71 million extension, per NFL Media. The two sides reportedly worked hard over the past 24 hours to end his training camp hold-in.
Johnson reportedly receives $27 million guaranteed in his contract, and is paid $19 million in the first year. According to ESPN, the deal is worth up to $39.5 million. The new deal carries an AAV of $18.35 million, which ranks No. 17 in the NFL. The wide receivers market of course has exploded over the past few months, as nine of the top 10 highest-paid receivers signed their new deals this offseason. What’s good for the 26-year-old Johnson is that he can cash in again soon after this two-year deal.
Just this week, new Steelers general manager Omar Khan opted not to go into detail about the conversations they were having behind closed doors regarding Johnson, but he did say the Steelers wanted to keep him in the fold.
“We want Diontae,” Khan said. “We’re excited to have Diontae as part of this team. We hope that he is going to be a Steeler for a long time.”
Johnson, who was selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Toledo, earned his first Pro Bowl nod this past season after a career campaign in which he caught 107 passes for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s led Pittsburgh in receiving yards in each of the last two seasons.
Apart from making Johnson happy with the extension he had been searching for, this also will get him back on the practice field, where he can start to build chemistry with new quarterbacks Mitchell Trubisky and Kenny Pickett, as they continue their quarterback battle, which includes Mason Rudolph.
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