The Pittsburgh Steelers and Diontae Johnson are coming to a cross-roads. It's either going to be time for Pittsburgh to sign Johnson to a new contract, or risk losing him after the 2022 season. A new contract will mean a very large cap hit for the Steelers as the receiver market has gone through the roof this offseason. For a team that doesn't normally hand out second contracts to receivers it could be an investment they're not willing to take.
Steelers Camp, August 2020, Diontae Johnson (#18) cataches a pass over Minkah Fitzpatrick (#39). | Steelers.com
There is a lot of uncertainty beyond Johnson at the receiver position. Chase Claypool returns for this third season in the NFL after a shaky sophomore campaign. He claims to have conquered some of the mental and maturity obstacles that held him back last season. Beyond Claypool Pittsburgh has rookies George Pickens, and Calvin Austin III. They've looked good in shorts, but will that transfer to the field once the regular season starts? Limas Sweed was expected to be a stud at one point. We all know how that worked out.
Would Pittsburgh consider trading Johnson is contract talks fizzle this summer? It's highly doubtful. But today Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox suggested that a trade for Johnson should be something Pittsburgh should look into. Knox listed five 4th of July special firework trade deals that could change the league.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) participate in Organized Team Activities(OTAs), Tuesday May 31, 2022 at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. (Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers)
Some of his scenarios make sense. Two of the deals involve Browns estranged quarterback Baker Mayfield being dealt to quarterback needy teams. Or at least to places where he would play because he won't do that ever again for the Browns. Love to see the circus back in town in Cleveland.
But #4 on his list suggests Pittsburgh deals Johnson to the Dallas Cowboys for a 2nd round pick.
Like the Bears, the Pittsburgh Steelers are entering a rebuild in 2022. Ben Roethlisberger retired this offseason, and Pittsburgh will start either Mitchell Trubisky, Mason Rudolph or rookie first-round pick Kenny Pickett in Week 1.While wideout Diontae Johnson would help the Steelers' next quarterback tremendously—he had 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns this past season—his Pittsburgh future is uncertain. While he hasn't requested a trade as Deebo Samuel has, Johnson is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Johnson was great last season but has only one 1,000-yard campaign on his resume. The Steelers may not be willing to give him, say, Terry McLaurin money (three years, $70 million) based on one strong season—especially after adding rookies George Pickens and Calvin Austin III to the receiver room this offseason.
If the Steelers aren't willing to lock up Johnson, they could trade him out of the conference and to the Dallas Cowboys, who lost both Amari Cooper (traded) and Cedrick Wilson Jr. in the offseason.
Dallas is talented enough to make a Super Bowl push in the NFC but could use another veteran receiver to remain in the upper echelon. Dallas has CeeDee Lamb, drafted Jalen Tolbert and signed Johnson's former teammate, James Washington, but presumed No. 2 receiver Michael Gallup is coming off a torn ACL.
Adding Johnson would help ensure that Dallas' top-ranked offense keeps rolling. The Steelers, meanwhile, would get more in return than they would by losing Johnson for a compensatory pick in 2023 free agency.
This deal would give the Steelers very little value in return for Johnson. If Johnson walks after the 2022 season and signed a mega deal with another team the Steelers would get a 3rd round compensatory pick in 2024 for him anyway. Would they get their return sooner rather than later? Yes, but it would also leave the Steelers with no true #1 receiver this season and accelerate the need for Pickens and Austin to perform right away.
There's zero possibility the Steelers would trade Johnson for such a light return. Especially with all of the question marks at that position. So you can easily laugh this one off as something that's never happening. The only way a trade of Johnson would come is for a return that would blow the organization away. That isn't going to come any time soon.
