Diontae Johnson turned his back to a significant fumble in the first quarter of the Steelers’ crucial game against the Bengals on Sunday.
With 4:45 remaining in the scoreless opening quarter, Kenny Pickett handed the ball off to running back Jaylen Warren, aiming for the first down beyond Cincinnati’s 20-yard line.
Warren sprinted to the left but was instantly hit by two Bengals defenders, tackling him to the ground as the ball pops out near where Johnson was lined up on the line of scrimmage.
Johnson didn’t move once the play started, not running a route, and when the ball was fumbled, he made no effort to grab it for his team close to scoring position.
Instead, he turned the other way, letting rookie defender DJ Turner pick it up at the Bengals’ 11-yard line for a gain of 28 yards.
The Steelers’ wide receiver has shared his frustrations this season with his team, most recently getting into a “heated” argument with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick after the 13-10 loss in Cleveland in Week 11 before teammates Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt broke up the fight.
The outburst reportedly included Johnson “chirping” at the coaches after the game and into the locker room, where Fitzpatrick eventually began arguing with the wide receiver.
According to ESPN, the team was able to move past the situation and it did not carry over into the practices and preparation for the Bengals, but clearly something is amiss with Johnson.
The Steelers later defeated the Bengals 16-10, improving to 7-4 on the season.
Johnson ended his afternoon with four catches for 50 receiving yards.