Breaking news:  Steelers Pro Bowl receiver is signed by the Browns, rejoining Kenny Pickett in Cleveland.

Pickett and Diontae Johnson lived together in Pittsburgh for two years.

In Cleveland, a former Pittsburgh Steelers team has reconnected. In an attempt to unseat Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders for the starting position, the Browns signed former Steelers Pro Bowl wide receiver Diontae Johnson on Monday, bringing him back together with former Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett.

The Steelers chose 28-year-old Johnson in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Once an outstanding student at the University of Toledo, Johnson filled Antonio Brown’s hole as soon as he got to Pittsburgh.

For most of his tenure with the Steelers, Johnson was a reliable No. 1 receiver, despite not being as effective as Brown. In 2021, he helped Pittsburgh secure a postseason spot in Ben Roethlisberger’s last season by setting career-highs with 107 catches for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns.

Despite his continued productivity, Johnson’s stats declined when Roethlisberger retired because the Steelers were having trouble finding a long-term replacement. During Johnson’s last two years with the organization, three different quarterbacks were started: Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, and Pickett. While the Steelers continued to post winning records throughout that time, it was evident that the lack of continuity at the quarterback position was badly hurting Johnson, who was moved to the Carolina Panthers following the 2023 season.

Johnson’s 2024 campaign was a complete failure. Johnson was traded to the Baltimore Ravens before to the trade deadline following a lackluster tenure in Carolina. Less than two months after the Ravens punished him for one game for actions that were harmful to the club, he was released. Three days later, Johnson was selected by the Houston Texans, who eventually discarded him at the end of the season.