Diontae Johnson Remains Sidelined With Injury at Steelers Practice

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a noticeable absentee during Monday's practice: star wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Head coach Mike Tomlin eventually told reporters that Johnson's absence was due to a hip flexor, leaving fans concerned about his status heading into the 2022 NFL season.

Unfortunately, the situation hasn't gotten any better. Johnson did not suit up for Tuesday morning's practice as he continues to deal with his hip flexor. He was spotted on the sidelines without pads, so it remains to be seen just how long he'll be kept out of team activities.

Diontae Johnson Injury Update

This isn't the news that the Steelers wanted to hear after signing Johnson to a two-year, $18.355 million contract extension last week. Though it hasn't been confirmed just yet, it wouldn't be shocking if he was forced to miss Saturday's preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Hopefully, Johnson's hip flexor won't force him to miss the start of the 2022 NFL season. The Steelers' top wideout paced his team in receptions (107), receiving yards (1,161) and touchdowns (eight) last year, so his absence would definitely be felt if he's forced to miss significant time.

The Steelers did receive some good news on Monday when WR Chase Claypool return to practice for the first time in over a week after injuring his shoulder. Nevertheless, Tomlin's squad needs both Claypool and Johnson to be as healthy as possible if Pittsburgh is to be competitive this fall.

Fortunately, the Steelers have just over a month before the regular season begins. As long as Johnson doesn't suffer any setbacks, a full recovery by Week 1 is within the realm of possibility.

Steelers Playoff Odds

The Steelers need Johnson to be as healthy as possible if they want a crack at this year's postseason. For now, FanDuel Sportsbook is only giving Pittsburgh +330 odds to make the 2022-23 NFL playoffs, translating to an implied probability of just 23.3%.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.