One thing all sources seem to have in common in the case of the Pittsburgh Steelers and WR Diontae Johnson is that none of them actually reference talking to Johnson himself. Most of the conversation takes place from the team’s perspective, but Mark Kaboly yesterday attempted to do the reverse yesterday. I don’t know that he succeeded in his task.
Do the Steelers want to trade Johnson? Does Johnson want the Steelers to trade him? Does anybody want to trade for Johnson, and if so, can they meet the Steelers’ asking price? What happens if nothing happens by the time they need to pay his $3 million roster bonus as yet another factor?
We have no idea where the truth lies, but we tend to favor those that most closely mirror our preferences. Tony Pauline reported that the Steelers are open to trading Johnson if they receive a fair offer. He expanded on that report yesterday on 93.7 The Fan.
“I think that they wish he was more of a leader on that offense”, he said, referring to Johnson. Asked about the Steelers’ reported interest in the top receivers in this class, he noted that could relate to Johnson. “They want a guy in the receiver group he’s gonna be a real leader”, he reiterated. “Someone who is gonna stand out because of his work ethic”.
I should note that Johnson’s work ethic is an example. Like Antonio Brown, he leads through example by establishing the tone in practice. Nobody can fairly accuse him of not being a diligent worker. His own personal trainer is a fixture at practices and other players follow his lead. Both George Pickens and Calvin Austin III have publicly said that they learn from Johnson. He’s also publicly supported both of them. But I digress.
Pauline reiterated his original report stating the Steelers are not putting him on the proverbial trading block but are listening. “If somebody comes up with a good deal, they will definitely move”, he said. “I think they would move him for a third-round pick. I do not think that they would [accept] a Day 3 selection to move him”.
For the sake of clarity, the NFL draft divides into three days. The first day consists of only the first round, the second day Rounds 2 and 3. Day 3 is rounds four through seven, so Pauline believes the Steelers need at least a pick in the top three rounds to feel justified in dealing Johnson.
Entering the final year of his contract with $10 million in compensation for 2024, Johnson knows he lacks the ideal circumstances to produce the sort of numbers that earn wide receivers substantial windfalls. Chiefly due to poor quarterback play, his numbers don’t reflect the value of the contract extension he signed in 2022.
Any player wants to play in more preferable circumstances for their position, in a vacuum. I still need convincing that Johnson is a genuine malcontent and a distraction, however. I also still need convincing that the Steelers feel he is a malcontent. Even during his training camp “hold-in” in 2022, he spent practices laughing it up with head coach Mike Tomlin.
