The Carolina Panthers dropped to 1-3 after their Week 4 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, which means that wide receiver Diontae Johnson is back on the trade block. A third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Johnson originally joined the Carolina Panthers in an offseason trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. With only one year left on his contract, the rebuilding Panthers hoped the wide receiver could be a legitimate target for 2023 first-overall pick Bryce Young. This plan didn’t last long, as first-year head coach Dave Canales benched Young after two disastrous weeks.
Journeyman quarterback Andy Dalton proved he could operate the offense, guiding the team to a Week 3 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders and putting up a strong fight against the Cincinnati Bengals. Dalton can make the offense functional but can’t fix the disastrous defense. The Panthers must build for the future, meaning they could trade Diontae Johnson to a receiver-needy team like the Kansas City Chiefs or the Green Bay Packers.
Chiefs, Packers Could Trade For Panthers Wideout Diontae Johnson
The Kansas City Chiefs spent the offseason trying to fix the wide receiver position with guys like free agent signee Marquise Brown and first-round pick Xavier Worthy. On paper, these two paired with Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce would give Patrick Mahomes all the firepower he’d need to win yet another Super Bowl. However, reality had different plans, as Kelce has not been consistent, Brown suffered a (probable) season-ending injury in the preseason, and Worthy hasn’t proven to be ready for a high-volume role. A great quarterback like Mahomes could make do with this, but the latest injury could force a Diontae Johnson trade.
Rashee Rice suffered a serious injury after Patrick Mahomes inadvertently tackled him following an interception. While the official diagnosis is not yet in, Jordan Schultz reports that the Chiefs believe Rice tore his ACL. The second-round pick was easily the most consistent part of this passing attack, and Kansas City must find someone capable of getting open and moving the chains consistently. Diontae Johnson is an ideal fit for this role, and a trade would mean that this offense would pick up right where they left off. It would also be interesting to see what Johnson could do with an elite quarterback after spending his entire career catching passes from backup-level talent.
The fear for #Chiefs WR Rashee Rice is a season-ending torn ACL, per source. Coach Andy Reid said he will have an MRI in the morning, but the team is fearing the worst. Just absolutely awful. pic.twitter.com/u4nZqnfpw2
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 29, 2024
More Help For Jordan Love
The Chiefs weren’t the only team that lost a key playmaker to injury, as wide receiver Christian Watson reportedly suffered a high-ankle sprain in the team’s Week 4 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The Green Bay Packers have one of the league’s deeper wide receiver depth charts, so they could get by with what they have while the second-round pick works his way back to the field. However, if they want to win the division, they should consider a Diontae Johnson trade.
In a move nobody saw coming, Sam Darnold is playing like one of the best quarterbacks in football. The former New York Jet guided his new team to a pristine 4-0 record while ranking at or near the top of every major passing statistic. In short, he’s playing like a former third-overall pick, and the Packers will need more offensive firepower if they want to match Minnesota’s explosive passing game. Diontae Johnson might not be Justin Jefferson, but the veteran receiver is a capable target who could make this passing game even more dangerous.
Main Photo: Stephen Lew – USA Today Sports
