Steelers Exit Interview 2022: Diontae Johnson and Anthony Miller

The 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers NFL season has come to an end. As the Steelers were among 31 teams that did not complete their final goal, they are in the process of completing their season and advancing to 2023.

Since the Steelers are doing exit interviews with all of their players, we at BTSC thought we’d do the same. By outlining the two players each day, we’ll be able to look at their season in retrospect as well as look to the future. As Coach Tomlin has previously stated that he begins his interviews with rookies, first year players, and those heading into free agency, we will do the same. To start, I paired potential free agents with players on starter contracts. Now that both categories are finalized, I will be pairing players under contract as we work through this process to eventually cover the entire Steelers roster.

The final two players are wide receivers Diontae Johnson and Anthony Miller.

Diona Johnson

Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images

Position: Wide receiver
Years with the Steelers: 4
Years in the NFL: 4
Contract status: Signed until 2024
Contract Details: $16,333,333 salary milestone for 2023. Would cost the Steelers $11,666,667 in dead money if released and save $4,666,666.
Games played in 2022: 17 regular season
Games start in 2022: 17 regular season
Locked (regular season): 1,042 (foul), 1 (special team)
PFF score: 69.6 (45th of 119)
Famous statistics: Johnson had 86 receptions on 147 targets for 882 receiving yards and zero touchdowns. Johnson also had seven rushes for 25 yards.

Notes: Diontae Johnson hasn’t had the year he’d hoped for from his contract extension. Johnson had a career low catch percentage of 58.5% as well as 6.0 yards per target. More concerning, the zero touchdown by Johnson has a lot of people around the NFL talking. But 2022 is over and both Johnson and the Steelers need to see off to a 2023 season. With Johnson receiving 50% more targets than the next closest player last season, he has to make more with his chances or the odds have to dwindle. With the likes of George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth on the rise in targets, Johnson must continue to improve or see his role in the Steelers’ attack wane.

Anton Miller

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Position: Wide receiver
Years with the Steelers: 1
Years in the NFL: 5
Contract status: Signed until 2023
Contract Details: Achieve a salary of $940,000 for 2023 on a veteran’s salary benefits contract. Would cost the Steelers $0 in dead cash if released and save $940,000.
Games played in 2022: 0 regular season
Games start in 2022: 0 regular season
Locked (regular season): There isn’t any
PFF score: There isn’t any
Famous statistics: There isn’t any

Notes: It’s fitting that the last exit interview for the 2022 Pittsburgh Steelers was the only player to sign a new contract, other than a reserve/future contract, for 2023. Signing on Jan. 17, Anthony Miller will receive over $1 million while counting slightly less on the Steelers’ salary cap thanks to veterans’ salary benefits. But first, Miller had to make a list. Showing plenty of promise prior to his injury in training camp, Miller is a player who will have the chance to shine once again, but will make the trip to Latrobe without any guarantees.

This concludes the Steelers’ 2022 exit interview. If you missed any of the previous articles, they are listed here:

Kenny Pickett & Mason Rudolph
George Pickens & Miles Boykin
DeMarvin Leal & Larry Ogunjobi
Connor Heyward & Zach Gentry
Mark Robinson & Devin Bush
Jaylen Warren & Benny Snell Jr.
Calvin Austin III & Derek Watt
Najee Harris & Terrell Edmunds
Pat Freeiermuth & Trent Scott
Dan Moore Jr. & Jesse Davis
Isaiah Loudermilk & Chris Wormley
Tre Norwood & Damontae Kazee
Pressley Harvin III & Marcus Allen
Kendrick Green & JC Hassenauer
Alex Highsmith & Malik Reed
Kevin Dotson & Tyson Alualu
Ahkello Witherspoon & Cam Sutton
Myles Jack & Robert Spillane
Minkah Fitzpatrick & Karl Joseph
Levi Wallace & James Pierre
Miles Killebrew & Elijah Riley
TJ Watt & Jamir Jones
Montravius ​​​​Adams & Tae Crowder
Cam Heyward & Jonathan Marshall
Chris Boswell & Christian Kuntz
Arthur Maulet & William Jackson III
Steven Sims & Shooter Olszewski
Jeremy McNichols & Carlins Platel
Mason Cole & James Daniels
Mitch Trubisky & Chuks Okorafor