Bryce Young has a unused weapon, courtesy of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers traded Professional Bowl extensive receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers on Tuesday, consistent with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Going again to Pittsburgh can be cornerback Donte Jackson and the 178th select at the 2024 NFL Draft, with the Panthers additionally receiving the 240th select.
Barring an extension, the industry is a one-year condominium of Johnson, who’s at the ultimate yr of a two-year, $36.7 million extension.
Jackson was once ranked by means of Professional Soccer Center of attention because the Deny. 63 cornerback out of 127 within the NFL terminating season and is within the terminating yr of a three-year, $35.1 million word of honour. The Panthers were reported earlier this month to be on the lookout for a technique to alleviate his $15.7 million salary-cap accident for 2024. The industry will nonetheless drop them with $9.8 million in useless cash.
The travel continues a hectic day for the Steelers, who struck a deal with soon-to-be free agent Russell Wilson on Sunday and landed free-agent linebacker Patrick Queen with a three-year, $41 million deal on Tuesday. The group has additionally dropped veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson and cornerback Patrick Peterson.
Pittsburgh goes thru a minor overhaul amid a seven-year stretch with no playoff win. The group will input nearest season with a quarterback combat between Wilson and previous first-rounder Kenny Pickett, although it’s reasonably bizarre to peer a group of their place surrender a participant like Johnson for thus negligible.
In fact, it’s much less of a miracle whilst you overview how Johnson’s ultimate season in Pittsburgh went.
Diontae Johnson had a windy terminating yr in Pittsburgh
It’s crisp to not argue Johnson wasn’t fertile all through his Steelers tenure. He crossed 1,000 yards best as soon as in 5 seasons, however he nonetheless averaged 872.6 yards in line with season for a group that has had inconsistent quarterback play games at best possible over that reach.
Terminating season wound up being a making an attempt yr for Johnson and, no longer coincidentally, the Steelers normally. His 2023 were given off to a coarse get started when he had to miss four games with a hamstring injury. He sooner or later made his go back with forged performances, however was once on the heart of the group’s in-house troubles next within the season.
There was once a record Johnson and superstar protection Minkah Fitzpatrick had a heated locker room confrontation in which they had to be separated in November. That was once the similar sport for which Johnson later apologized for openly giving up on a play, no longer even bothering to produce an struggle because the Cincinnati Bengals returned a fumble only some ft from him.
The Steelers’ extensive receivers room has been infamous for needless drama, and it definitely felt like the contest between Johnson and George Pickens terminating yr certified, no less than when Pickens was seen visibly unmoved by Johnson scoring his first touchdown of the season.
Now, Johnson has a prospect to be the supremacy receiver in Carolina. Adam Thielen was once the group’s chief receiver terminating season with 1,014 yards, however he’s 33 years aging. The 27-year-old Johnson provides Younger a skilled receiver for his sophomore yr, although it left-overs hazy if the Panthers are headed within the proper direction, particularly after the underwhelming Brian Burns trade.
In the meantime, Pickens is ready to be supremacy canine in Pittsburgh, with names like Calvin Austin III and Miles Boykin in the back of him.
