Steelers Attempted To Pull Big Mid-Season Trade For Donte Jackson Last Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers surprised many fans when they engineered the trade of wide receiver Diontae Johnson on Tuesday. General Manager Omar Khan cooked up one of his deals and sent Johnson to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson. The two teams also swapped late round draft picks with the Steelers getting 178 and Carolina taking 240. Apparently this trade fulfills a year old desire on the part of the Steelers. 

Tom Pelissero, from NFL Network, who originally broke the news on X, joined the crew on Good Morning Football and spoke about the trade. The Steelers liked Jackson when he came out of LSU in 2018, the same draft class as Johnson. Head Coach Mike Tomlin and former Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert watched him perform at LSU's Pro Day, admiring his speed. The Panthers just beat Pittsburgh out, taking Jackson with their second round selection at 55 overall. It left the Steelers to select James Washington with the 60th pick.  

"As for Donte Jackson, the Steelers had actually been trying to trade for Jackson during the season last year. Again, an older more expensive player. He now heads to Pittsburgh and fills a need for them," said Pelissero on Good Morning Football.

Jackson exploded on the scene as a rookie, having what was arguably his best season. Since then, he has been somewhat inconsistent. However, the Panthers as a whole have been inconsistent for several years, struggling to capitalize upon their assets. During his six years in Carolina, Jackson played in 80 games, starting 76. He had a total of 303 combined tackles, 15 of them for a loss, 14 interceptions, one sack, three forced fumbles and even a defensive touchdown. 

Then late in the 2022 season, Jackson tore his Achilles tendon and was out for the remainder of the season. That is why it is somewhat surprising that the Steelers were interested in acquiring a player that was only a year off that devasting injury. Perhaps that explains why his interception rate dropped to nonexistent in 2023. Last year, Jackson allowed 45 receptions on 68 targets. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 64.3 for 2023. 

However, Jackson does provide a strong veteran presence in a major area of need. The Steelers released veteran Patrick Peterson after only one season and lost that mentor-type figure. Peterson was involved heavily in the development of then-rookie Joey Porter Jr. Jackson served as a captain for the Panthers for multiple seasons and should be able to give that steady, leadership presence in the secondary. 

Steelers' Diontae Johnson Grateful For His Time In The Steel City

During his career in Pittsburgh, Johnson has been somewhat of a polarizing figure. It really started with his dropped balls issue early on in his career, but fans rallied around him when they heard the tales of him spending extra time on the field catching tennis balls to try to remedy the problem. 

Then it was the attitude. Johnson was constantly getting roasted on social media for being a poor sport. There was footage of him seemingly giving up on his team, of him engaged in chippy conversations with Tomlin and other members of the coaching staff, and at one point had to be separated from teammate Minkah Fitzpatrick, who tried to get Johnson to backoff.    

When the rumors broke that Johnson was pushing for a trade out of Pittsburgh, many fans were glad. Johnson might be one of the better route runners in the NFL, but the Steelers had been unable to capitalize on it with former Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada. That, along with the Steelers' struggles with quarterback play, likely led to much of Johnson's frustrations. 

Perhaps Johnson and Jackson will both find the fresh starts that they need to be able to rise to their former glory, or to their full potential. Jackson will join a defense in Pittsburgh that is full of incredible weapons. Johnson will go to an offense that desperately needs weapons, instead of staying in Pittsburgh where new Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith is more likely to get the ball to George Pickens than him.  

What do you think about the Johnson-Jackson trade? Do you think it is true that the Steelers tried to get Jackson last season? Click to comment below.

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