Even though they made the playoffs last year, the Pittsburgh Steelers enter the 2024 offseason in a bit of turmoil. The team could be looking for a new quarterback to replace Kenny Pickett, Mike Tomlin might be contemplating retirement, and the organization is looking to trade wide receiver Diontae Johnson.
A third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Johnson immediately joined the long list of receivers successfully developed under the Pittsburgh Steelers. Despite never having a stable quarterback situation, the Toledo product has routinely been near the top of the leaderboard in targets per game and has an 1,100-yard season to show for it. Despite the success, however, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reportedly believes the team will try to trade Diontae Johnson in the coming weeks.
The Steelers are open to listening to trade offers on WR Diontae Johnson. There is interest from teams around the league as GMs are getting set for free agency.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 9, 2024
Pittsburgh Steelers Listening to Trade Offers For Wide Receiver Diontae Johnson
Good wide receivers are hard to find in today’s NFL, but there are a few reasons the Steelers could look to trade Diontae Johnson. First and foremost is the financial aspect. Johnson carries a $15.83 million cap hit, but the Steelers can save $10 million by trading him. This is a lot of savings for a cash-strapped team like Pittsburgh, especially when you consider Johnson is in the final year of his deal and the team already has a reliable option in George Pickens on the roster.
Additionally, Diontae Johnson has had some effort problems in the past. Most notably, the receiver didn’t even attempt to jump on a fumble last year, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Johnson and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick got into a “heated post-game argument” a while back and needed to be physically separated.
Such a loser mentality by Diontae Johnson pic.twitter.com/cjzKfwQr0o
— Will Compton (@_willcompton) November 26, 2023
Despite the negatives, the fact of the matter is that some teams are going to want to trade for a playmaker like Diontae Johnson. Even if there are some red flags, he shouldn’t cost much to acquire and there aren’t enough reliable receivers to go around.
Best Team Fits
New England Patriots
The Patriots are in the unenviable position of needing to completely rebuild their offense from the ground up. While quarterback is the biggest need, they still could use 2-3 more reliable wide receivers in the passing attack. If the Patriots can trade a late-round pick for Diontae Johnson, they absolutely should consider it. Johnson’s shifty route running is an ideal fit for this offense, and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt should be very familiar with Johnson’s abilities from his time with the Cleveland Browns.
Carolina Panthers
If there’s any team that needs help at wide receiver more than the Patriots, it’s the Carolina Panthers. While Adam Thielen still has a little something in his tank, nobody else showed much of anything last year. Diontae Johnson excels at quickly getting open off the line, and that’s the type of player the Panthers should trade for. Maybe he won’t singlehandedly save this offense, but pairing him with a promising rookie like Ladd McConkey should help save Bryce Young’s career.
Dallas Cowboys
Mike McCarthy will not be back in 2025 if he cannot bring this team on a deep playoff run, so it’s in his best interests to go all-in for 2024. This starts with providing more reliable weapons for Dak Prescott. CeeDee Lamb is a star, but Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup don’t bring anything of note to the table. If the Cowboys trade for Diontae Johnson, they’d be getting a much-needed second option in the passing game, which should make it easier for Dallas to go blow-for-blow with some of the top offenses in the NFC.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills need another receiver, and they don’t have the resources to pay up for an expensive one. What they do have, however, is 11 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. They could easily trade one for Diontae Johnson and still have plenty of young talent on the roster. While his $10 million cap hit would be hard to swallow, Buffalo could lower that number with an extension.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs need a wide receiver if they want to go for the elusive three-peat. While Diontae Johnson is no Tyreek Hill, he’s a clear upgrade on Skyy Moore, Kadarius Toney, and the departed Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Nobody wants to make Kansas City’s path to the playoffs easier, but if they make the best trade offer for Diontae Johnson, then the Steelers will have no choice but to accept.
Main Photo: Mark Konezny – USA Today Sports
