The Kansas City Chiefs lost Juju Smith-Schuster to a hamstring injury, further increasing the odds they trade for someone like wide receiver Diontae Johnson. After winning the Super Bowl last year, Kansas City spent the offseason aggressively attacking the wide receiver position, signing free agent Marquise Brown and trading up to select Xavier Worthy. These two paired with Rashee Rice and tight end Travis Kelce should have given Patrick Mahomes all the help he could need, but the four never suited up in the same game.
With Brown and Worthy done for the season, the Chiefs had no choice but to make old friend Juju Smith-Schuster a featured part of the offense. The one-time Super Bowl champion went off against the New Orleans Saints, recording seven receptions for 130 yards, but suffered a hamstring injury in Week 7. While we don’t know the severity of Smith-Schuster’s ailment, hamstring injuries are notoriously fickle and the team already ruled him out for Week 8. Someone needs to catch passes for Patrick Mahomes, and Diontae Johnson is the best option remaining on the trade market.
Chiefs, Panthers Must Agree to Diontae Johnson Trade After Juju Smith-Schuster Injury
Even though the Chiefs are undefeated, Patrick Mahomes does not look like his usual self. Through six games of action, the three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time MVP has thrown just six touchdowns to eight interceptions. The advanced numbers paint a slightly prettier picture, as he ranks 11th in PFF grade, 9th in ESPN’s QBR, and 17th in EPA/play. However, even these league-average ranks are well below what Mahomes is usually capable of doing, which shows the importance of executing a Diontae Johnson trade.
The New York Jets and Buffalo Bills already landed the two best receiver options in Davante Adams and Amari Cooper, respectively. While these two are no longer in the Diontae Johnson sweepstakes, several teams could still pursue the veteran. You could easily argue that no contender needs a receiver more than the Chiefs, so they must go after the former Steeler. However, it takes two to tango, so would the Panthers even agree to this type of deal?
Will The Panthers Sell?
First-year head coach Dave Canales inherited a mess, and the former Buccaneers offensive coordinator spent the season trying to fix the offensive side of the ball. Carolina spared no expense, trading for Diontae Johnson, adding multiple free agents to the offensive line, and trading up for first-round pick Xavier Legette. However, while the supporting cast is adequate now, you can’t win games without a quarterback. 2023 first-overall pick Bryce Young looked lost early in the season, and Andy Dalton’s magic wore off after multiple starts.
Set to be a free agent after the season, most reports indicate that the Panthers and Johnson will not agree to a long-term deal. With the season already lost at 1-6, the Panthers might as well trade Diontae Johnson to the highest bidder. While nobody wants to help the Chiefs win their third consecutive Super Bowl, the Panthers will sell to the highest bidder. Kansas City proved they can win games with defense and an inconsistent offense, but adding Diontae Johnson will give the team the firepower required to hoist the Lombardi Trophy once again.
Main Photo: Jim Dedmon – USA Today Sports
