Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Brandon Johnson at OTAs on May 29, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
With the NFL upholding the two-game suspension for Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf for his altercation with a Detroit Lions fan at Ford Field in Week 16. As a result, the team has signed veteran wide receiver Brandon Johnson to their practice squad.
Johnson will wear No. 89. Tight end Donald Parham was the last Steelers player to wear the digit. Parham tore his Achilles during OTAs, ending his 2025 season.
Former Steelers tight end Bennie Cunningham, wide receiver Ernie Mills, wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery and tight end Vance McDonald are some notable players in team history that have worn No. 89.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Brandon Johnson at OTAs on May 29, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Johnson, 27, first joined the Steelers in 2024 as a member of the practice squad, after he had been released by the Denver Broncos. He was called up for the maximum of three games while on the practice squad, making one catch for nine yards. Johnson then re-signed with the Steelers for the 2025 season in January.
Unfortunately, he suffered an undisclosed foot/ankle injury early in Pittsburgh’s preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers. He was seen leaving the stadium with a walking boot on, and did not return to practice for the team in the preseason.
Johnson was then waived with an injury designation as part of the team’s final cuts down to 53 players. He reverted to the injured reserve list but was later released with an injury settlement.
This offseason, Johnson started OTAs with the first team while Metcalf was out, but he was unable to convert that positioning into a greater opportunity, with wide receivers Scotty Miller, Roman Wilson and Ke’Shawn Williams out-performing him this preseason.
Johnson finished the preseason with just five catches for 28 yards and a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Johnson joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in October after they had a flurry of injuries at wide receiver. However, he was released last week as they got healthier at the position.
Originally an undrafted free agent of the Broncos out of UCF in 2022, Johnson spent two seasons in Denver, appearing in 23 games and catching a total of 25 passes for 326 yards and five touchdowns.
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