The Pittsburgh Steelers currently have several questions surrounding the wide receivers' room. There was a conscious decision made when General Manager Omar Khan sent Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers, but it left George Pickens as the only clear-cut producer for the group as the 2024 offseason was getting underway. The trade led to Donte Jackson coming to the Steel City, which has so far been looked at as a win during the first week of training camp. Fans down in Carolina may not be saying the exact same things about Johnson, however.
Former Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (#18) warms up on the field prior to a 2022 preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
There has been footage swirling around social media and Johnson is unfortunately still struggling with drops. This is something that plagued him more than once during his career with the Steelers.
Johnson was very effective for Pittsburgh, but it appeared as if the organization looked at him as a bit of a locker room distraction. He was often caught saying questionable things during his media interviews. He didn't have nearly as many drops as fans believed, but was inconsistent and when they came, it always seemed like it was the worst time for it to happen. He appears to be showing that downside of his game to the folks with the Panthers.
Johnson bounced back in 2023 when it came to getting into the end zone. It was certainly a big deal in 2022 when he was unable to catch a touchdown pass. Overall, he hauled in five in his final year with the Steelers, but only played in 13 games due to an early injury. The trade to the Panthers wasn't necessarily expected, but not terribly surprising.
Former Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (#18) lines up prior to a snap during a 2022 regular season matchup against the Baltimore Ravens at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
It's more than just catching the passes that has been on display for Johnson in Carolina thus far. He also showed a little bit of ball insecurity on Thursday during a practice.
It's early on in training camp and there is plenty of time until the regular season, but the top receiver on your team dropping multiple passes and fumbling is not a great sign early on. There will be plenty of time to evaluate the trade, but based on reports coming out of Latrobe about how strong Jackson has been, the Steelers could be looked at as the early winners of the deal, especially if somebody emerges as the second wideout option.
Former Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson smiles as he stands on the field at St. Vincent College during a 2023 training camp practice in Latrobe, PA.
Steelers Could Regret Trading Johnson
If Pittsburgh doesn't pull off a trade for a top-tier wide receiver before the regular season, there might be some regret in Khan's office. The NFL is a passing league and while the running game should be strong, franchises need multiple threats in the receiving to be formidable. The hope is that Jackson plays well defensively and someone picks up the slack and replaces Johnson.
