First Call: Predicting Diontae Johnson's new contract; Ben Roethlisberger's Steelers gear heads to Hall of Fame

Friday’s “First Call” has a prediction for what the Pittsburgh Steelers might have to pay Diontae Johnson. Ben Roethlisberger’s gear is getting into the Hall of Fame before he is. The Penguins are still stuck in second place despite their win on Thursday night. And Pittsburgh’s struggling college hoops teams try to get some momentum before conference play wraps up.

Diontae’s dollars

Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson is entering the fourth and final year of his rookie contract. If he is going to get an extension before the start of the 2022 campaign, it’s going to be costly.

But it may also be worthwhile if the Steelers want to lock up Johnson before he hits free agency.

Pro Football Focus is projecting an extension at the rate of $68 million over four years or $17 million per season.

“One issue raised with Johnson has been drops,” said PFF’s Brad Spielberger. “While they did crop up at inopportune times, you don’t have a drop issue unless you’re constantly creating separation and commanding targets.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams — one of just two wide receivers with a target rate above Johnson’s over the past two seasons — struggled with drops early in his career, with 10 in his second season and nine in his third year. He signed a four-year, $58 million extension ($14.5M per year) in 2017 going into the fourth year of his rookie contract, one of the bigger wide receiver contracts handed out that offseason.”

Johnson, who scored eight touchdowns, was a replacement player at the Pro Bowl this year. During 2021, Johnson ranked 10th in the NFL in receiving yards (1,161), tied for fifth in receptions (107), tied for second in targets (169), eighth in yards after catch (527) and tied for 10th in first downs (59).

Roethlisberger gear

Now that he is retired, former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger can start the countdown until his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction. He isn’t eligible for five years. But, in a way, Roethlisberger is already heading to Canton, Ohio.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Twitter account shared a picture of the jersey Roethlisberger wore in his final regular-season game against the Baltimore Ravens.

New to arrive in Canton: The game-worn jersey of @_BigBen7 used during his final regular-season game (Week 18 of the 2021 season).

More ➡️ https://t.co/wdJgdnNVFR@steelers | #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/RGSTCHTj85

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) February 10, 2022

The jersey is at the HOF and will be on display. The Steelers won that game in overtime at Baltimore to help them advance to the playoffs. Roethlisberger threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Chase Claypool with 2:54 remaining to erase what was a 10-6 fourth-quarter deficit.

Roethlisberger finished his career with 64,088 passing yards, fifth all-time.

Group turnaround?

It hasn’t been an easy year for Western Pennsylvania’s local Division I men’s college basketball teams. Pitt (9-16), Duquesne (6-15) and Robert Morris (6-18) are a combined 21-49.

All three teams are in action this weekend and hoping for better luck.

The Colonials may have the toughest task. They host Oakland at 7 p.m. Friday. The Grizzlies are 16-8, 9-4 in Horizon League play. They are third in the conference. RMU is 10th in the conference at 4-11. Oakland smoked the Colonials 79-61 earlier in the season.

Duquesne is riding an eight-game conference losing streak into a Saturday home game against Fordham at 5:30 p.m. The Rams aren’t much better. They are 3-7 in Atlantic 10 play.

But one of those wins was a 72-71 buzzer-beater over the Dukes on Jan. 12.

At least Pitt is coming off a win. The Panthers upset Florida State 56-51 on Wednesday. Now Jeff Capel’s crew welcomes the worst team in the ACC this year at 3 p.m. Saturday. North Carolina State comes to the Petersen Events Center with a 3-11 record in conference play.

Pitt better seize the moment. Four of their five remaining games are against North Carolina, Miami, Duke and Notre Dame. Those are four of the top five teams in the ACC.

Kept at bay

The Penguins enjoyed a 2-0 shutout victory over Ottawa on Thursday night. But they failed to gain any ground on the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes.

That’s because the Canes also won in shutout fashion. Frederik Andersen and company blanked the Bruins 6-0 in Boston.

Pittsburgh-born Vincent Trocheck scored on a power play along the way, his 13th goal of the season.

You knew Vinny would get on the scoresheet pic.twitter.com/lrbH2uO84t

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) February 11, 2022

Ex-Penguin Jordan Staal scored as well. That was just his third goal of the year and his first since Oct. 29.

So that means the Penguins are in second place in the Metro with 66 points, one point behind Carolina. The New York Rangers are in third with 64 points.

New York doesn’t play again until Tuesday. The Penguins are in New Jersey for a 1:30 p.m. faceoff Sunday afternoon. The Hurricanes play Saturday night in Minnesota.