Diontae Johnson reacts to bold take on Ben Roethlisberger as WR eyes new team

Diontae Johnson reacted to a tweet saying that Ben Roethlisberger is among the top 10 quarterbacks in NFL history.

Johnson is a former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver who has since also played for the Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans. The act is interesting in the context of Johnson's current association with the Ravens, a 28-year-old Pittsburgh rival.

On Friday, MLFootball posted a video of Roethlisberger with a caption claiming:

"#STEELERS QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER IS A TOP-10 QUARTERBACK IN #NFL HISTORY. Big Ben was one of the most clutch quarterback to ever step on a field —- his team was never out of it with him. A BALLER."

"🐐🐐," Johnson responded on X, using the globally recognizable emoji for "Greatest of All Time."

The response was meaningful with Johnson's departure from Pittsburgh and the all-time, historic intensity of the Ravens-Steelers rivalry. Pittsburgh is ahead in the all-time series 36-27.

Roethlisberger played all 18 of his Steelers seasons from 2004-2021. The 11th pick of the 2004 NFL draft guided Pittsburgh to Super Bowl wins in XL and XLIII and was a six-time Pro Bowl selection. He ranked fifth on the all-time passing yards list (64,088) and eighth on the all-time passing touchdown list (418) when he retired.

Diontae Johnson's career drama signals opportunity for redemption

Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers - Source: Imagn

Diontae Johnson has had a controversy-plagued career over the last few years. He was suspended by Ravens coach John Harbaugh on Dec. 4 for "conduct detrimental to the team" because he reportedly would not go in for a game against the Eagles when told to.

"We've made the tough call to suspend Diontae Johnson for our next game against the Giants due to conduct detrimental to the team," Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said.

After the incident, Johnson was dealt to the Houston Texans, where he appeared in just two games since the team moved on. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans was direct with the circumstance, stating, "With Diontae, unfortunately, it didn't work out, and we're on to the Chiefs."

Johnson's professional statistics as a wide receiver have been marred by the changes.

Since inking what was to be a two-year, $36,710,000 contract extension with Pittsburgh in 2022, Diontae Johnson has not been consistent. In the 2024 season, he had only 33 receptions for 375 yards and three touchdowns, playing for three teams.

Despite the setbacks, Johnson seems to be bent on coming back in his NFL career. Yahoo Sports insider Tanner Phifer recently uploaded a video of Johnson's off-season training, writing: "WR Diontae Johnson is showing off that he's still putting in the work during the off-season while remaining a free agent."

The dedication to training has transferred to solo workouts. In early April, Diontae Johnson was spotted training with former teammate George Pickens. Both receivers ran routes with trainer James Everett Jr., better known as Route God, who posted videos of their workout on Instagram.