The Pittsburgh Steelers are trading WR Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. It’s a massive move by the team, one rumored and speculated about for the last two weeks. In return, the Steelers will receive CB Donte Jackson and a Day 3 pick swap.
Per Pelissero, the Steelers will get pick 178 (a sixth-round selection), while the Panthers will get pick 240 (a seventh-round selection).
The trade won’t become official until tomorrow when the new league year officially begins. As Dave Bryan has discussed, and as Pelissero noted, Diontae Johnson had a $3 million roster bonus due in the coming days. If Pittsburgh were going to make a deal, it’d be ahead of that bonus, and they were able to work out a trade with the receiver-needy Panthers, who had one of the league’s worst group of skill players a season ago for No. 1 overall pick QB Bryce Young.
Diontae Johnson was rumored to be available for trade, speculation that began around the Combine and increased ahead of free agency. Now, the Steelers have a major need for a wide receiver, while they will add a starting corner in Jackson.
A third-round pick of the Steelers in the 2019 NFL Draft, Diontae Johnson is one of the league’s top route runners. But he seemed increasingly unhappy with his situation in Pittsburgh and his 2023 season was defined by injury and controversy. He had a low-effort play on a fumble against the Cincinnati Bengals while he reportedly got into arguments with coaches and players in the locker room. Johnson finished 2023 with 51 receptions for 717 yards and five touchdowns. Johnson was entering the final year of his contract.
A second-round pick in 2018, Jackson has started 76 games for the Panthers. He started 16 games for the Panthers a year ago, recording 59 tackles, five pass deflections, one forced fumble, and no interceptions. For his career, Jackson has 303 tackles and 14 interceptions. Dave Bryan provided the info on Jackson’s contract situation.
It’s a massive deal and an eventful start to free agency for the Steelers. They’ve agreed to terms with QB Russell Wilson, LB Patrick Queen, and P Cameron Johnston. Now, they’ve agreed to trade Diontae Johnson in a rare starter-for-starter deal.
