A report has come out stating Diontae Johnson's displeasure with his current situation with the Steelers. No one should be shocked by this as the star player for the black and gold enters his final year under contract with Pittsburgh. He has been their top receiver for most of his career and he probably wants a new deal.
That probably won't happen unless it's another short-term contract similar to what he got a couple of years ago. George Pickens will be getting a monster extension within another year or so. Re-signing might be something this club can't afford later down the line. Johnson sees the writing on the wall, and he could want a trade out of the city to get another contract extension and a new lease on life.
Might as well connect the Steelers and Bears in more trade rumors
When you look at the Chicago Bears and the Pittsburgh Steelers, there are already plenty of trade rumors surrounding them. They have a trade history in recent years since they moved Chase Claypool to the Bears. There were also rumors that the Steelers put a trade offer on the table to try and acquire Jaylon Johnson from the Bears this past trade deadline.
Now, the rumors are on fire as the Steelers are the top potential trade partner to land Justin Fields from Chicago. Perhaps that means someone like Johnson could be an option to be sent the other way in a potential deal. Maybe a trade that had Johnson for Fields straight up might make sense. Both have a year left on their contracts unless Fields gets his fifth-year option picked up.
Maybe the Potential Fields trade and Johnson deals could be completely separate. We know the Bears already have D.J. Moore, but they would be wise to add another quality receiver to pair with either Fields or whichever rookie quarterback they decide to select first overall. Another potential deal could include a swap of picks or Johnson for a day two pick straight up.
With Calvin Ridley leaving Jacksonville, Johnson could be an option
Nothing is official in the NFL until it goes down. Rumors out of Jacksonville have been saying that Calvin Ridley will be walking in free agency. They love the player, but he would end up costing them a second-round pick in the upcoming draft if they re-sign him. That was one of the terms they hashed out during their prior trade with the Atlanta Falcons.
Ridley had a great comeback season after sitting out a year due to his suspension regarding the gambling problem. He was one of Trevor Lawrence's favorite targets and he proved that he can be a highly productive player in the NFL. With the free agency market starting to dry up with different names rumored to be staying with their current teams, Ridley could be a top receiver available.
With him possibly being one of the best receivers out in free agency, the Jaguars could pivot to a cheaper option rather than a bidding war. Instead of using a second-round pick on re-signing Ridley, they could trade that to the Steelers for Diontae Johnson. It would make sense for both sides as the Steelers would get an extra day-two selection and the Jaguars get a replacement for Ridley.
Not only would Jacksonville get a replacement for Ridley in this case, but they would be getting an upgrade. Johnson is considered to be a true number-one option on a team much more than Ridley ever will be. Getting another quality weapon for Lawrence to work with would only benefit the Jaguars. Pittsburgh would likely want to keep Johnson out of the AFC, but a round-two pick for him would get them interested.
Carolina Panthers are starving for talent across their entire roster
We know that the connection between Pittsburgh and the Panthers is there. They had some former Pittsburgh members in their front office, but that has started to fall apart after their recent firings. David Tepper, the Panthers owner, was a minority owner of the Steelers before purchasing the Panthers. The club has been poor since he took over the team.
This would make a ton of sense for the Panthers and Diontae Johnson. Carolina desperately needs talent across their roster, but they have an even bigger hole at receiver. They lack top picks in the coming drafts since they traded up to get Bryce Young last year. That could hurt them in the long run, but trading for someone like Johnson could be beneficial.
They need to continue to invest in their young quarterback and give him some weapons. Johnson would be a nice get for them. The Steelers would love to get their early second-round selection in the 2024 draft, but that might be too rich. Maybe they could get their third-rounder and swap some mid to late-round selections instead.
Johnson would also have an increased chance of getting a contract extension from the Panthers. They have a lot of cap space and would be willing to spend money on an extension for a top receiver. Johnson would be their top receiver on day one and would likely get paid like one on his next contract. This would be a nice deal for the Steelers, especially if they can somehow pry that 33rd-overall pick from Carolina.
Diontae Johson could change one Black and Gold Team in for another
There are a couple of issues with Diontae Johnson being potentially traded from the Steelers to the New Orleans Saints. The main issue here would be the cap problems that the Saints currently have. They are roughly 83 million over the cap, so they have a lot of things to turn around. Many should expect tons of cap casualties and contract restructures from them over the coming weeks.
Not only do the Saints have cap issues now, but they are projected to be over the cap by a significant margin again next year. They always have cap issues but somehow, they always find a way to shrink that number to a reasonable situation. That will be one of the biggest roadblocks in the way of Johnson potentially landing with the Saints if the Steelers decide to trade him.
One would have to imagine that Johnson would want a contract extension as part of a trade to somewhere else. It seems unlikely that New Orleans would be able to provide that they might not be able to make the financials work. There could be a solution via trade where Pittsburgh takes on contracts to try and better their roster in a deal.
A trade that included someone like Marshon Lattimore for Johnson straight up would perk up the ears of the Steelers. A star cornerback for a star receiver could be something of interest. Pittsburgh could even see if someone like Tyrann Mathieu is available. This would be the most complicated trade the Steelers could make regarding Johnson, but they could get some quality players back.
Pittsburgh could trade Diontae Johnson to a Super Bowl Contender
Some might hate the idea of sending Diontae Johnson to a contender like the San Francisco 49ers, but it makes sense. They have some talented players and are always looking to improve. With future contracts going to star players in the coming years, it could be hard for them to keep everyone. Johnson is going into his last year and does need an extension, so that could complicate things.
We know that San Francisco is not afraid to add talented players to their explosive offense. They have stars all over the field like Christian McCaffrey, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. Adding someone like Johnson would only catapult their offense to new heights. This would likely be an "all-in" move by the 49ers as they probably won't be able to re-sign him.
Unless they are willing to part with Aiyuk after his rookie contract expires, Johnson's days in San Francisco would likely be limited to a single season. The question would be what or who would the 49ers be willing to trade to the Steelers to make the deal get done? Well, they have plenty of talent on their roster and some valuable draft picks.
If the Steelers asked for draft capital, they should demand their second-round pick, which is almost the last choice in that round. The 49ers also have two third-round selections so that could be an option too. If Pittsburgh wanted a player in return, maybe they could deal Johnson for someone like Deebo Samuel. They get a versatile receiver, and the 49ers get an elusive playmaker.