Update, Oct. 20 — Johnson is not on the final injury report and will return from I.R. to face the Rams in Week 7.
Update, Oct. 19 — Johnson logged another full practice participation on Thursday. At this point it feels like he is on the way to being activated this weekend, but that hasn’t been decided yet.
A look at player injuries & practice participation for Week 7. @UPMCSportsMedhttps://t.co/pvwfJW2aqn
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 18, 2023
Update, Oct. 18 — It seems the bye week came at a good time for Johnson. Not only did he return to practice this week, but he was a full participant on Wednesday.
Pretty, pretty good injury report for the Steelers coming off a restful bye pic.twitter.com/jZ3Eg4SQ6p
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) October 18, 2023
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson is slated for a return to practice this week after spending four weeks on injured reserve. Johnson injured his hamstring in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers and has been out ever since. The Steelers had a bye in Week 6 and face the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7, and Johnson expects to play.
#Steelers WR Diontae Johnson (IR, hamstring) has been designated to return to practice.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 16, 2023
Fantasy football implications for Week 7
If Johnson is back, we could see a decrease in fantasy earnings for George Pickens, who has been Kenny Pickett’s primary target this season. Allen Robinson and Calvin Austin could also see a downturn in receptions, though they aren’t as impactful for fantasy.
Pickett is healthy after sustaining a minor knee injury in Week 4, and with the team rested up on a bye week, we could see a big day for Johnson. Whether he will be limited in any capacity or be on a snap count is unclear.