The Pittsburgh Steelers have a history of drafting great wide receivers, getting rid of them when it comes time to give them a big contract, and having their replacement basically ready to slot into the offense, starting the cycle over again. Examples include Santonio Holmes and Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant and JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool and George Pickens. Recently, the team went through this process again by trading Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers and then selecting Roman Wilson in the third round of the 2024 draft. While Johnson had his issues with the Steelers, it seems he’s making a great impression with his new team.
Adam Thielen is a receiver who’s been with the Panthers since 2023, playing ten seasons with the Minnesota Vikings before that. Recently, Thielen spoke on NFL Network’s podcast The Insiders about what kind of impact Johnson has had with the Panthers so far, giving him nothing but praise.
“Then Diontae, he’s just a special football player,” Thielen said. “The way that he moves and changes direction and can really track the football, you could tell it was an instant boost to that group and our team. So, I’m very excited about that.”
Thielen has been around the block, so he knows what a talented receiver looks like. Talent was never the question with Johnson in Pittsburgh, though. He had several mental errors on the field that frustrated fans with his play. Although he was a fantastic route runner, the Steelers had to question his effort too many times.
Reports claim that the Steelers traded Johnson because they were tired of dealing with his attitude problems, but they may come to regret that decision. While George Pickens has emerged as a viable number-one receiver, the Steelers’ overall depth at that position isn’t great. Wilson may be young and talented but shouldn’t be considered an immediate number two option. Just as well, the rest of the players in that room are either unproven or flawed. Someone will need to step up, or the Steelers’ offense could face serious trouble.
While Johnson and the Steelers felt like they weren’t gelling together, it seems like he may be using that failure as motivation in Carolina. Johnson should have a big role as the number-one receiver for second-year quarterback Bryce Young, the number-one choice in the 2023 draft. Much like Johnson, he has numerous doubters, so perhaps they can silence their critics together.
The Steelers did manage to improve their cornerback room by trading Johnson, so the trade wasn’t all negative. The rumors of the team looking to trade for a star receiver will continue to float around, too, and maybe something tangible will eventually pop up there. If the Steelers somehow manage to land a Brandon Aiyuk or a Deebo Samuel, it will make the Johnson trade look much better, depending on what kind of assets they give up. Omar Khan has proven that fans should trust him, so it will be a matter of waiting and seeing.
