Pittsburgh Steelers' WR Diontae Johnson Placed on Injured Reserve, Set to Miss Minimum of 4 Games

On Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers made a significant roster move by placing wide receiver Diontae Johnson on injured reserve, ensuring his absence for a minimum of the next four games. This decision was executed just hours before their Week 2 clash against the Cleveland Browns on "Monday Night Football."

Johnson's injury, a hamstring ailment, was incurred during the Steelers' Week 1 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. The unfortunate incident transpired early in the third quarter when Johnson attempted to change direction after securing a first down following a 26-yard gain. Last week, a source informed ESPN's Adam Schefter that Johnson was expected to be sidelined for "a few weeks."

Reflecting on the injury, Johnson commented, "I just put my foot in the ground. Fluke incident, it just gave out on me. I can't do anything about that." It's worth noting that Johnson did not encounter any hamstring issues during the preseason and emerged from training camp in good health.

Notably, Johnson has been the leading receiver for the Steelers over the past four seasons, consistently averaging 85 receptions per season since his selection in the third round of the 2019 draft. His impressive performance earned him a Pro Bowl nod in 2021.

In addition to Johnson's placement on injured reserve, the Steelers also added running back Anthony McFarland Jr. to the list, due to a knee injury. McFarland played a key role as the team's primary kickoff returner. In his absence, wide receiver Gunner Olszewski, who was inactive for the Week 1 game against the 49ers, is expected to assume kick return duties for Monday night's game.

Contributions to this report were made by ESPN's Brooke Pryor and The Associated Press.