Diontae Johnson provides blunt assessment of Steelers' recent play
Sometimes people say the quiet part out loud. This might be what happened with Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson on Sunday night when he spoke to the media.
Fresh off a 24-20 loss to the New York Jets, Johnson talked about the loss and said the thing everyone was thinking but no one was saying.
"Everybody wanna win," Johnson said. "I mean obviously it's a rebuilding year but we're not going to use that as an excuse."
No one within the organization had publicly used the word rebuilding yet during this entire process, even going back to training camp.
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Most acknowledged this would be a year of transition with the retirement of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger but at 1-3, there's no denying this season is a full rebuild. Pittsburgh benched Mitch Trubisky at halftime of Sunday's game and replaced him with rookie Kenny Pickett, marking what could be a new era in Pittsburgh at quarterback.
Pickett completed 10 of 13 passes for 120 yards and three interceptions against the Jets. He was far better on the ground as he scored two touchdowns on six carries.
The Steelers will get an extended look at Pickett moving forward. The lone quarterback selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft will look to provide a spark to an offense that needs it.
"Mitch's performance was a component of the decision, but not the only component of the decision and I just want to be really clear there," Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. "Often times the quarterback position gets too much credit, too much blame."
The Steelers will be back in action against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. It will be a tough road challenge for the rookie quarterback.
Paste BN Sports+ producer Jaylon Thompson contributed to this report.