Former Pittsburgh Steelers WR Brandon Johnson, who was released by the team yesterday, is signing with the Las Vegas Raiders, according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.
In Las Vegas, he’ll reunite with former Steelers wide receiver coach Zach Azzanni. Azzanni also coached Johnson in Denver and offered him a lot of praise during OTAs last season.
The Steelers moved on from Johnson to make room for punter Aidan Laros, whom they claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday. Johnson spent the majority of the last two seasons on Pittsburgh’s practice squad, appearing in three games during the 2024 season. He caught one pass for nine yards with the Steelers.
Johnson has had some NFL success with the Broncos, catching 19 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns in 2024. In Las Vegas, he’ll join a receiver room that lacks a true No. 1 option. TE Brock Bowers will likely be the top target for the Raiders, who drafted QB Fernando Mendoza No. 1 overall in late April. The team also signed WR Jalen Nailor this offseason, and he and Johnson will join Tre Tucker, Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton, as well as rookie Malik Benson in Vegas’ receiver room.
Las Vegas will be Johnson’s fourth NFL stop, though he’s only appeared in games with Pittsburgh and Denver. He also spent time with the Buccaneers last season and made a brief return to Denver this offseason.
It didn’t take long for Johnson to find a new home, and that’s likely due to his familiarity with Azzanni. In addition to coaching him in the NFL, Azzanni also recruited him to play at Tennessee, so the two have a relationship dating back years.
He’s on the outside looking in, but a strong training camp could help Johnson crack the Raiders’ 53-man roster. He’s also a strong candidate for a practice squad spot.
In Pittsburgh, Johnson’s chances of making the roster were much lower, buried behind DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Roman Wilson and rookies Germie Bernard and Kaden Wetjen. With a more wide-open receiver room in Las Vegas, the Steelers waiving him could wind up working out for Johnson in the long run.
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