Diontae Johnson wasn’t happy about the quarterback situation in recent seasons in Pittsburgh. But things were looking up for Johnson as Mason Rudolph played surprisingly well down the stretch. Johnson even went out of his way to tell the media that Rudolph should be the starter in 2024. Johnson will no longer have to concern himself with who the starting quarterback of the Steelers is because he’s headed to Carolina.
The Steelers will send Johnson and a seventh round pick to the Panthers and in return they’ll receive cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth round selection. I’ll get to Jackson shortly but what I want to discuss is this trade of Johnson. I am of the opinion (helped by some conversation with knowledgeable people) that the Steelers were moving on from Johnson one way or another.
Johnson was due a $3 million roster bonus on Saturday and the 31 other teams knew it. They could have easily just waited, forced the Steelers to pay it, then offered a trade. The Panthers didn’t want to wait however and agreed to pay the bonus. Would the Steelers have just cut Johnson had a trade partner not been found? Yes, they would have.
With one year left on his contract, there was no way he was getting another contract from the Steelers. Johnson’s behavior, while not exactly horrible, was trending in the wrong direction. Whether getting his mouth smacked by Mitchell Trubisky or being told to shut up by Minkah Fitzpatrick, it was abundantly evident that Johnson was wearing out his welcome. Thus, Johnson’s days in the Steel City were numbered.
As for Jackson, it has been reported that he too was going to be cut by the Panthers but they were more than happy to send him along with a sixth rounder for Johnson. I honestly don’t know if Jackson makes this roster in August. He’s been with Carolina since entering the league in 2018 and has played mostly on the boundary. Early reports are that he’s a good tackler but can get burnt a little too easily and is injury prone.
The worst part of this deal though comes in the salary discussion. The Steelers were glad to get rid of Johnson’s $10 million salary for this year right? Well, Jackson is due $10.5 million this season. So essentially this trade is flipping a seventh for a sixth. Omar Khan is to be credited for a lot in his short time as the general manager but this deal is leaving a lot to be desired. Unless of course the entire goal was getting rid of Johnson the job well done.
As for Johnson, he’s about to find if the grass is truly greener on the other side. Carolina is in total rebuild mode and I can’t help but wonder if DJ will be wishing he were still here by mid-season.
