During the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, wide receiver Diontae Johnson was seen arguing with members of the coaching staff on the sidelines.
Those emotions, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, spilled over into the locker room following the game.
Johnson reportedly continued yelling at members of the coaching staff as the team was leaving the field before injured safety Minkah Fitzpatrick attempted to intervene.
As a result of the “heated” argument between the two stars, T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward stepped in to play peacemaker and keep the situation from worsening.
Johnson caught only two passes in the loss and was visibly frustrated as the offense stalled.
The Steelers offense has been so bad this season that the team made an in-season coaching change by firing offensive coordinator Matt Canada. The Steelers fired a head coach or coordinator during the season for the first time since 1941.
Johnson is also said to have been involved in a locker room brawl for the second year in a row.
He was also involved in a locker room brawl with veteran quarterback Mitchell Trubisky during a loss to the New York Jets a year ago, according to reports.
That was the game in which the Steelers decided to bench Trubisky at halftime in favor of then-rookie Kenny Pickett.
The Steelers enter Sunday’s game against the Bengals with a 6-4 record and a wild-card spot in the AFC playoff race. However, the offense’s struggles are a major concern, and it remains to be seen whether a coordinator change will help.
Football is an emotional sport, and players arguing or fighting is fairly common over the course of a 17-game season. Particularly when things are difficult on the field. However, it is possible that the source of the frustration is a defensive player who is upset with the offense for not doing its fair share.
In this case, it was an offensive player who was frustrated with his own side of the ball and the coaching staff who kept putting them in those positions.
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