Diontae Johnson played a lot of games in Pittsburgh during the first five years of his career, but Sunday will mark the first time the receiver stands on the visiting sideline at Acrisure Stadium.
A third-round pick, Johnson led the Steelers with 391 catches, 4,363 receiving yards and 25 receiving TDs from 2019-2023. Pittsburgh traded him to Carolina in the offseason, and the Panthers turned around and shipped him to Baltimore before the deadline.
"Man, I had a great career there. I loved it," Johnson said of the Steel City, via the Ravens' official team website. "Great city, people great there. I know what they're about. I can't wait to get to Sunday to just be back in that stadium."
Johnson said he still often talks with several Steelers players, including George Pickens, Calvin Austin III, T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and Najee Harris.
The 28-year-old noted that it would be weird to be wearing purple in Pittsburgh.
"Just being back in that stadium, where it all started, it's going to be different," he said. "I actually have never been in the away locker room [in Pittsburgh], so that's going to be different for me, but I'm ready to get back there, just to see the good people that I made relationships with, but other than that, it's a big moment for me."
In two games with the Ravens, Johnson has had minimal impact, catching one of two targets for 6 yards on just 21 total offensive plays.
"They're working me in there slowly, but, you know, I just go out there, whenever they call my number, going to do my thing," Johnson said. "So I can't go in there just expecting a lot. I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself. However the game goes, I'm all for it."
When asked about Johnson on Tuesday, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin said he's not concerning himself with a former player who has been an ancillary piece on his new team.
"To be honest with you, I hadn't thought a lot about it," Tomlin told reporters. "He's not on a lot of their video, and so at this stage of the week, I don't know that I've weighed what he might mean to the matchup. They got more significant pieces with larger roles that are occupying my attention at this part of the week."
We'll see Sunday if the Ravens make an effort to get Johnson the ball against his former team.
