As we’ve done in previous years, we’re taking a look at those Pittsburgh Steelers under Reserve/Futures contracts for the 2025 offseason — the ones who spent most of, if not the entire year, on the practice squad — and what we can expect from them during training camp and (hopefully) into the regular season. Today, here is an outlook on WR Brandon Johnson.
Brandon Johnson/WR Central Florida – 6023, 195 pounds
DK Metcalf will serve as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ splash addition of the offseason. It’s a historic move. His presence knocks everyone else at the position a rung down the depth chart. That includes Brandon Johnson, the forgotten veteran receiver on the Steelers’ roster. While his path to a roster spot is slim, he’s a name to know once the Steelers report to Latrobe a few months from now.
A six-year college player who spent five years at Tennessee before wrapping up at UCF, Johnson had a career year in 2021. Remarkably efficient, he caught 11 touchdowns on just 38 receptions to finish second in the AAC in scores behind Houston’s Tank Dell, who needed 109 receptions to reach 12.
A slow 4.61 40 at his Pro Day cooled his hot production and caused him to go undrafted in 2022. He signed with the Denver Broncos to become a teammate of QB Russell Wilson. He caught a cup of coffee as a rookie, appearing in seven games with six catches and his first NFL touchdown. In an otherwise disappointing day, Johnson found the end zone in the final minutes of a 23-10 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
His 2023 campaign was a smaller-scale version of his final year at Central Florida. An impressive ratio of touchdowns to receptions, ending the year with 19 grabs and four scores. That included three touchdowns over the first four weeks, including his first multi-score day in a Week 2 loss to the Washington Commanders. He found Hail Mary magic on a wild tip-drill to give Denver a chance to tie the game, though an unsuccessful two-point conversion kept them in the loser’s column.
After falling out of favor in Denver the rest of the way, Pittsburgh signed Johnson to its practice squad before Week 1 opened up, reuniting him with Wilson. Johnson spent the first quarter of the season on the taxi squad before being elevated in Week 5 against the Dallas Cowboys, catching his first and only pass — a 9-yard gain mid-way through the fourth quarter.
Johnson logged 14 more offensive snaps across Weeks 7 and 8 but wasn’t targeted and didn’t haul in another pass. He didn’t receive a helmet the rest of the year.
Despite that, the Steelers held onto him on their practice squad and inked him to a Reserve/Future deal after the regular season. A best-case scenario for him is Russell Wilson’s return, but failing that, his NFL experience is an asset. Still, he’s competing with fellow experienced players like Ben Skowronek and Scotty Miller at the bottom of the team’s depth chart. It’s conceivable that Johnson could make the 53 out of camp, but the far more likely route is making the practice squad and being elevated partway through the year, just as he was in 2024.
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