4 advantages of Steelers waiting on a Diontae Johnson contract extension

4. Still hope for a deal after the 2022 season

If the Steelers don’t get an extension done with Diontae Johnson before the start of the 2022 season, there is still hope that they could retain him. Historically, Pittsburgh doesn’t like to negotiate with players during the season, as they have bigger fish to fry. However, it may not be a bad thing to let him test the market first.

Last year, the arrow was pointed down for Diontae Johnson over the final seven games of the season and into the playoffs. If he has an up and down season in 2022, perhaps his market falls through in free agency.

It’s important to consider that there aren’t a lot of teams out there who are willing to pay elite money to small, outside receivers. Once you factor in Johnson’s inconsistent career and his size, the number of teams who would be willing to fork up $20 million or more per year for him in free agency could go down even further.

I know all it takes is one team to pounce on the opportunity. If he does end up having a very good year, the Steelers could always place the franchise tag on him to make sure he sticks around in 2023. However, I wouldn’t say that all hope is lost of retaining him if they don’t get a deal done this year.

At the end of the day, I do think that the Steelers find a way to extend Diontae Johnson, but based on these factors, I think you can make a case to wait on giving him a new deal.