Heading into Week 6, the Pittsburgh Steelers are dealing with a rash of injuries to their wide receiver room, and ahead of their game vs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers they have elevated receiver Brandon Johnson from the practice squad.
Johnson, 28, has bounced around the league since going undrafted in 2022, including two different stints with the Steelers, an experience that has kept him humble, and ready for whatever the future hold, in Pittsburgh or wherever that might be.
An undrafted free agent out of UCF in 2022, Johnson spent two years with the Denver Broncos, then bounces to the Steelers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, back to the Steelers, to the Broncos, to the Steelers again, to the Las Vegas Raiders before returning to Pittsburgh on Sept. 1.
"It's cool man, it's been a journey," Johnson said. "I've kinda been what seems like all over, from here to Vegas, back here and all that good stuff, but it's been cool man. It's a blessing. I'm just glad I get to be back here with these guys. I've spent a lot of time here, so it's been cool just to be back."
Life as a practice squad player has many challenges, especially when it comes to moving from place to place, but Johnson's faith helps keep him grounded amidst so much uncertainty.
"Jesus Christ: that's it right there," said Johnson. "Because otherwise, you'll lose your mind in this business. There's a countless amount of guys that's in my position just trying to find your footing and stay in one place and it doesn't always work out that way, but all this has taught me to just to be more real in my faith, and it's really brought me closer to God."
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Brandon Johnson celebrates a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 16, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
This time around, Johnson seems to have his living situation figured out, though not without some trial and error along the way.
"There's a small period when you first get to a team, where the team can cover your hotel stay, but after that you're on your own, you've got to figure it out," Johnson said. "They can help you with referrals and things like that, but they won't be covering you monetarily. So I've had an apartment here, I signed a year-lease and I had to get rid of that and move my furniture to storage down in Florida, then I came back here and I wasn't going to go the whole lease route again, so I've done fully furnished apartments, that's kind of what I'm in now. I pay for it monthly, and I can kind of leave whenever. The living situation, they get kinda funky, but you can figure them out."
Another aspect of a practice squad player's life that often goes unnoticed and unappreciated is the player's significant other, and for Johnson it's his girlfriend, Dejah.
"She's actually here right now," Johnson said. "She's amazing, I can't say enough about her. She's been by my side through all of this, when I was active playing, P-squad, moving around to different teams, so I literally can't say enough about her, I owe her so much, she means so much to me. She's a trooper, for real."
Johnson, along with fellow practice squad members Brandon Smith and Isaiah Hodgins have all played in the league in some capacity and have built a rapport with quarterback Aaron Rodgers , and being around Rodgers has been an invaluable part of his journey.
"It's cool because just in the meantime you get to learn a lot from obviously one of the greats like Aaron, learn from other teammates and other receivers, you get to learn and honestly just work on your patience," Johnson said. "You know there's a lot of waiting, but in the meantime you get to sharpen your sword and just stay ready for that moment."
While true stability has eluded Johnson so far in his career, his experience will help him if and when his number is called.
"There's no comfort, but familiarity with the situation," Johnson said. "It's not my first rodeo, so if I were to get the call or whatever it is, I've got some experience."
And no matter the situation, Johnson remains humble.
"I owe everything to God," he said. "Jesus Christ, I owe everything to him, and I hope I glorify him with my play and how I carry myself around this building every day, and that's all."
Brendan Howe provided reporting from Pittsburgh.
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