It’s a challenge not every quarterback has been able to master. Johnson was with the Pittsburgh Steelers for five seasons. He had 80-plus receptions in three of those seasons. The two seasons with a lower number saw Pittsburgh rotate three different starting quarterbacks through the roster. In 2022, catching balls from Kenny Pickett for the majority of games, Johnson had 86 receptions on 147 targets, for 882 yards, but no touchdowns.
His two best seasons with the Steelers came with six-time Pro Bowl quarterback Ben Roethlisberger at the helm. Those years, Johnson had 88 receptions for 923 yards and seven touchdowns in 2020, then 107 receptions for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022.
There is a person on each end of this throw and catch though. For as much time as Bryce Young will spend learning Johnson, the former Steelers receiver traded in March will spend the same amount of time learning Young.
“Really just staying on the move in those situations,” Johnson said, when asked about becoming comfortable with Young becoming mobile. “If you see him get out of the pocket, try to get in his vision and try to make a play for him. It don’t matter what situation you in with him or whatever, just try to at least be in position to make a play at all times for him.”
For Canales, watching the chemistry grow between these two is even less about what they do during a play, and more what they do after. Following a route, Young will seek out Johnson or receiver Adam Thielen, going over the previous rep.
The road ahead is still long for these two to be completely on the same page, but rays of lights are peeking through. Like on Wednesday, at the first practice, when Young escaped the pocket from pressure, rolled out to his left, came back to the original pocket and then threw to a spot, not a person, down the left sideline. By the time the ball made it 20-plus yards on air, Johnson was able to peel off his defender and nab the catch in stride before running out of bounds.
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