Throughout his NFL career, former Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Diontae Johnson has always fought a quiet battle with his own mind. Sitting alone in the dark on a recent Instagram Live, the 29-year-old dropped the usual bravado and confidence an athlete has. Instead, he was confessing that behind his comeback training, he is quietly hurting on the inside as he tries to navigate life outside the NFL. 

Johnson made it clear in his live that the workout videos circulating online only tell half of his story. This emotional confession was a stark contrast to his May 2026 comeback workouts with renowned trainer James Everett, who is often called the “Routegod.” The daily conditioning is shielding the internal pain he currently feels. The smiles he has around people don’t change the reality he faces. 

“I ain’t gonna lie, y’all boys. I ain’t there mentally where I want to be at right now, bro. In life. In general. I know this working out shit, this football s***, just me training and shit every day, it may seem like I’m cool and all that, but… I’m not, bro. N**** really broken on the inside. You know, just because of, you know, my actions and s***. Just how I carried myself throughout all this s***, bro. Like, n**** ain’t really there for real mentally, bro. Like, I’m hurting, bro. Like…

N**** just going through a lot, bro, and it’s hard as hell every day to act like it’s not bothering me, bro. Like, I may smile and joke around and shit, but nah, bro. N**** really hurting, bro. Like, I ain’t… I don’t know what else I’mma do right now,” Diontae Johnson expressed. 

To understand Diontae Johnson’s regret, you have to look back at how quickly things have gone downhill in his career. The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted him as the 66th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. In the 5 seasons since, he put up strong numbers as a wideout, catching 391 receptions, 4,363 receiving yards, and 25 receiving TDs. This run included 1,161 receiving yards on 107 receptions and 8 TDs in a season with the Steelers that earned him his first Pro Bowl selection in 2021. Despite the rise, his fall was greater, and definitely harder.

Pittsburgh traded him to Carolina for cornerback Donte Jackson. He started strong for the Panthers, recording 30 receptions, 357 yards, and three touchdowns across seven games. But the Panthers traded him to the Baltimore Ravens midseason, where Diontae Johnson couldn’t find a role on offense, catching a solitary pass in 4 appearances before moving on to the Texans two weeks after he refused to enter the game for the Ravens against Philadelphia. 

GM Eric DeCosta suspended him for 1 game for conduct detrimental to the team on December 4 and officially placed him on waivers on December 20, 2026.

Diontae Johnson had a small postseason stint with Houston Texans before joining the Browns for the 2025 season, but he was cut from the roster before the start of the season, and he proceeded to sit out for the whole season. 

Rather than deflecting blame onto front offices or coaching staffs, Diontae Johnson took real accountability for his mistakes. He admitted that his own choices derailed his promising career: “You live, and you learn, bro… I regret every decision I made up until this point that put me in this position.” 

The regret feels heavier with no one to check up on him as he isn’t an active part of any roster, Diontae Johnson said of the “NFL Brotherhood” sharing that former peers vanished once his career stalled. 

But he also admitted that his current situation won’t define him. Instead, he strives to do better every day as a person and athlete.