REPORT: Pittsburgh Steelers Insider Reveals The True Reason For Trading 2021 Pro Bowl Wide Receiver To The Carolina Panthers

Back in March, when the Pittsburgh Steelers traded former Pro Bowl Diontae Johnson, for the Carolina Panther’s #2 corner, Donte Jackson, in what was essentially a player-for-player swap, most considered it to be an ok, perhaps erring on the side of a poor value trade for one of the league’s most astute franchises.

Diontae Johnson has been a solid #2 or #3 option in the league for nearly five years, while not being exactly the talent he was in his breakthrough 2021 Pro Bowl season. While Jackson is a very good cornerback, he has had trouble staying healthy over his six years in the NFL. He hasn’t been able to play a full season since his rookie year in 2018.

Some may argue unfairly that Jackson has never been selected to the Pro Bowl or All-Pro teams, and his 64.3 PFF score is respectable but not exceptional.

Diontae Johnson Traded From The Pittsburgh Steelers Under Uncertain Circumstances

Thus, the issue arose as to why precisely the Steelers and Panthers made this trade. Particularly in a time when, in spite of the surge of talent from college football, receivers are earning upwards of $35 million, and when every indication suggests that the NFL is primarily an offensive league.

When questioned in late March about the rationale behind dealing one of his top two wideouts and so depleting his receiver room, Mike Tomlin first responded to the matter in a tactful manner.

“Dude, it was so easy. We have a chance to get [Jackson] by trading player for player. Since D-Jack joined the league, we’ve probably evaluated him multiple times. When he

We needed some assistance and depth and quality players at that position and so we made the move. They needed Diontae, we needed D-Jack. It was a good exchange.”

However, whilst Tomlin argues that Pittsburgh simply valued Jackson more as a player, it seems like this may not be the entirety of the truth.

Why Was Diontae Johnson Really Traded?

Reports started initially surfacing in February, a few weeks before the trade, that Diontae Johnson was unlikely to stay with the franchise beyond 2024, with fears of a hold-in over a new contract held by many in the building, Considering he was entering the last year of a two-year, $36.7 million contract that he had signed back in 2022.

But until the deal with the Panthers was disclosed, there was no real anticipation or chatter suggesting the Steelers were actively shopping the former Toledo wideout.

Insider Ray Fittipaldo said that the Pittsburgh Steelers had been thinking about Johnson as a possible problem for a while.

According to Fittipaldo, the AFC North side decided his fate because of his lack of maturity, locker room shenanigans, disruptive behavior in general, and low effort. This was reported on Sirius XM NFL Radio..

He was still making a lot of youthful mistakes and not always acting his age or what was best for that receivers’ room. You know, before Diontae Johnson, it was Antonio Brown, so it does go back two years… at least they got rid of Johnson, he was a big issue.”

Understanding the past is undoubtedly the best way to ensure that one does not repeat past mistakes; and if the Steelers have learnt anything from the Antonio Brown debacle, it is to not let disruptive players sink their teeth into a franchise and rip it apart.

Whether Johnson continues to be an issue in Carolina alongside new quarterback, former 1st overall pick, Bryce Young, remains to be seen; it is quite possible that a fresh start with a QB that was excellent in college is exactly what he needs.