During the NFL owner’s meetings in late March, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin clarified that the team’s decision to trade veteran wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers was primarily motivated by a desire to enhance their cornerback position. Tomlin emphasized that Johnson did not specifically request a trade.
In exchange for Johnson, the Steelers acquired veteran cornerback Dontae Jackson from the Panthers, addressing what Tomlin identified as a crucial need for the team.
Tomlin explained, “We traded player for player. We had an opportunity to get D-Jack (Donte Jackson). D-Jack is a guy that we’ve evaluated probably several times since he’s been in the league, when he came out of LSU, when he faced free agency. We needed some assistance in depth and quality players at that position, so we made the move. They needed Diontae, we needed D-Jack. It was a good exchange.”
While Tomlin refuted reports suggesting that Johnson requested a trade, it’s evident that Johnson’s satisfaction with his situation in Pittsburgh had diminished over time. Reports surfaced of an altercation with quarterback Mitch Trubisky during halftime of a 2022 game against the New York Jets, and tensions with Minkah Fitzpatrick emerged last season. Additionally, Johnson expressed reservations about the Steelers’ quarterback situation, publicly favoring Mason Rudolph over Kenny Pickett.
According to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, uncertainty regarding the quarterback position was a significant factor in Johnson’s desire to leave. Furthermore, with Johnson entering the final year of his contract and unlikely to be re-signed by the Steelers after 2024, the trade represented a pragmatic business decision for both parties.
On the other side, Panthers head coach Dave Canales expressed excitement about having Johnson in Carolina, emphasizing his dynamic playstyle and ability to challenge top cornerbacks. Canales, who previously served as receivers coach for the Seattle Seahawks, views Johnson as a valuable addition to enhance the team’s explosiveness and one-on-one matchups in the passing game.
Canales emphasized, “Diontae can release against the best corners in the league and get open and be available for the quarterback. He really has a dynamic style of play that I thought we were missing. I wanted to look at more ways we could add that explosiveness to our pass game. He was a big piece of it.”
