Tim Benz: What do big WR contracts mean for the Steelers and Diontae Johnson? Maybe not as much as we think
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On Tuesday, the Washington Commanders shelled out $71 million to wide receiver Terry McLaurin.
Many are wondering what that means for Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson. He wants a contract extension, too.
Personally, I don’t think it means anything. If the Steelers were going to be inclined to sign Johnson, don’t you think a contract would’ve been done by now after the likes of less high-profile players such as Christian Kirk (four years, $72 million) and Hunter Renfrow (two-year extension, $32 million with $21 million guaranteed) got huge contracts, too?
Sources: The #Commanders and star WR Terry McLaurin have agreed to terms on a 3-year deal worth $23.3M per year new money. Another WR cashes in.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 28, 2022
If the Steelers never felt bullied into handing out a similar amount of cash to Johnson after those deals (along with the ones doled out to the likes of Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill), why would they suddenly flinch because McLaurin got paid?
In fact, those numbers on McLaurin’s deal might be enough to push the Steelers away, saying, “We just aren’t going to keep up with … that!”
Both drafted in 2019, Johnson has more career catches (254-222) and touchdown receptions (20-16). McLaurin has more yards (3,090-2,764).
Just because others in the NFL are paying exorbitant money to receivers, that doesn’t mean the Steelers are going to keep pace. I bet they have a number in mind that they would offer to keep Johnson long term. And if he signs it, great.
If he doesn’t, they’ll move on and draft another Diontae Johnson next year.
I think that was part of their thinking when they drafted George Pickens out of Georgia in the second round this offseason. Most likely, fourth-round pick Calvin Austin III factors into that context as well.
The Steelers like Johnson as a player. They don’t like paying eye-popping dollars to wide receivers. They did for Antonio Brown. They kept paying Hines Ward deep into his career. I don’t think they view Johnson as being as unique as either of those two.
Most directly because receivers appear to be so plentiful in the draft these days.
My hunch is the Steelers feel like they’ll be overpaying for Johnson regardless of if they try to extend him this year or if he reaches free agency after 2022. So why not wait a year before they have to commit to doing so?
If another team outbids them for his services, so be it. That’s why the draft has seven rounds. After all, they found Johnson in the third round of 2019. McLaurin was drafted 10 picks after Johnson.
Plus, let’s see where exactly Johnson plays in Matt Canada’s system when the Steelers go three-wide. Is he the receiver that plays the slot? If so, does that make him more replaceable in 2023, especially if Austin looks like he can be up to speed by then?
Hey, the Steelers have cap space this year. Johnson is most certainly a Pro Bowl-caliber weapon. With the Steelers’ recent willingness to extend the likes of T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick, perhaps Johnson is next.
But I don’t see that happening just because the Steelers feel the need to keep up in the wide receiver arms race. If the Steelers commit to that kind of cash, it’ll be because they want to and on their terms.
Not because Dan Snyder did it first.