Steelers' Diontae Johnson Out vs. 49ers After Suffering Hamstring Injury

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson will not return to Sunday's season opener against the San Francisco 49ers after suffering a hamstring injury, according to Steelers director of communications Burt Lauten.

Johnson appeared to suffer an injury to his right hamstring after a tackle ended his 26-yard catch-and-run at the beginning of the second half.

At the time of the injury, Johnson led the Steelers with 48 receiving yards. The 49ers were leading 27-7.

The injurious catch-and-run appeared to be about to spark Pittsburgh's struggling offense, but after Johnson's exit the Steelers were unable to score on the drive.

George Pickens will now become a more frequent target for quarterback Kenny Pickett in Johnson's absence. Allen Robinson and Calvin Austin will also move up the wide receiving depth chart.

Johnson's exit from the game continues a series of injuries exacerbating the Steelers' Week 1 struggles. Defensive end DeMarvin Leal and defensive tackle Cam Hayward also exited the game early with an elbow injury and groin injury, respectively, per Lauten and 95.7 The Game's Cam Inman.

Tight end Pat Freiermuth was also questionable to return after suffering what appeared to be a rib injury just before halftime, but eventually rejoined the game.

Johnson exited the contest without reaching the end zone for the 19th consecutive regular-season game after he was held without a touchdown in all 17 starts last season. His last regular-season score dates back to January 3, 2022.