Former Steelers Wide Receiver Diontae Johnson Being Traded To Ravens Goes From Bad To Worse For Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to absolutely be on the winning end of the Diontae Johnson trade that saw the wide receiver go to the Carolina Panthers for Donte Jackson. Jackson has been reliable and settled in nicely on the defensive end opposite of Joey Porter Jr. in Pittsburgh. As Carolina began the season losing multiple games in a row, it was expected that Johnson, a 2025 free agent, would be dealt so the Panthers could recoup draft capital. On Tuesday, that notion came to fruition as Pittsburgh's AFC North divisional rival in the Baltimore Ravens acquired the pass-catcher for next to nothing.

The Steelers already had the disadvantage of playing all six divisional contests in the final eight weeks of the 2024 regular season schedule. Now, the team will also have to face a ferocious Ravens offense that has added Johnson into the mix. His talents will fit in perfectly and give the unit another weapon for Lamar Jackson. It only gets worse for Pittsburgh as now the Ravens may get something that could have been passed along to the Steelers.

Johnson is sure to test the free agent market in 2025. It's always possible that Baltimore decides to re-sign him, but if for some reason he ends up elsewhere, it could still benefit the Steelers' division rival in some way.

If Johnson does end up with the fourth team of his career in 2025, Baltimore will be expected to pick up a compensatory draft selection. This is a pick that could have belonged to Pittsburgh if he was never traded in the first place. The acquisition of Jackson has proven to be valuable, but the Ravens are already a very formidable team and extra draft picks will only help them get better.

On the positive side, the Steelers undoubtedly swindled the Panthers in the deal. It's unfortunate that Johnson has ended up with Baltimore, but nearly everything else went well for General Manager Omar Khan.

Carolina has fallen to 1-6 and due to an obscure NFL rule, Johnson could not be traded back to the Steelers. This eliminated a potential reunion in Pittsburgh, and allowed Baltimore to swoop in and trade for the dynamic play-maker. Johnson will certainly have both games against his former team circled, and Porter will have a little bit more motivation to be at the top of his game.

The Steelers still have wide receiver questions of their own and it will be interesting to see if Khan and co. find the right fit externally to trade for. Several teams have already been involved in the market, but Pittsburgh hasn't been able to secure a difference-maker. Johnson going to Baltimore just makes winning the division for the Steelers that much more difficult.

Steelers May Have Already Solved Wide Receiver Problem

Calvin Austin III had a phenomenal game on Monday Night Football against the New York Giants. The team has been waiting for the third-year wideout to breakout, and he may be a focal point of the offense moving forward. It wouldn't sit well with the fan base if a trade does not commence, but Austin is certainly doing everything that he can to earn the trust of his teammates and the coaching staff. There's a possibility that the solution to a complicated problem is already in the locker room.

Do you think it matters that the Ravens could potentially get a compensatory draft pick if Johnson signs elsewhere in 2025? Let us know in the comments below!

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