It seems to be destined that Pittsburgh drafts and develops some incredible talent at wide receiver just to see them leave these days. Throughout their history, receivers like Mike Wallace, Plaxico Burress, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Santonio Holmes, Chase Claypool, and Emmanuel Sanders all play their way out of Pittsburgh some way or another after impressing over the course of their rookie deals. Even complementary receivers like Nate Washington, James Washington, Martavis Bryant, and Markus Wheaton show flashes during their time in Pittsburgh that earns them contracts elsewhere. It seems that Diontae Johnson may be next in line to join that list. 
According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Steelers are reportedly “open to listening to trade offers” on their five-year veteran wideout. After playing out his rookie contract as a third-round pick out of Toledo, Johnson signed a two-year, $36.71MM extension. He played through the first year of that deal last season, meaning 2024 will be a contract year for the 27-year-old. Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline confirms Johnson could be available “if the price is right.”
In the final year of his contract, Johnson is due to receive $10MM of cash with a $7MM base salary and a $3MM roster bonus. With $5.83MM of his initial signing bonus being attributed to the 2024 season, he will represent a cap hit of $15.83MM. If the team were to find a trade partner, they would be able free up $10MM of that salary cap space, eating the $5.83MM they already paid him as dead money.
A down year in 2023 and only five touchdowns in the past two years may have soured the public on Johnson after a career year in 2021, but Johnson has still been consistent enough to place himself firmly in Pittsburgh’s history. His 4,363 receiving yards in black and yellow is good for ninth-most in the franchise’s storied history, surpassing all of the names listed above. Despite his recent scoring drought, his 25 career receiving touchdowns ranks 11th all-time for the Steelers.
There’s sure to be interest in Johnson around the league. His consistency has appeared in his availability over the years. Before missing four games this past season, Johnson had only missed two games in his career. His lowest receiving total of 680 yards came in his rookie season, and he’s shown that he can get into the endzone up to seven or eight times a year. Teams desperate for a WR1 or extremely interested in a strong WR2 will likely be reaching out to Pittsburgh for a price check.
As for the Steelers, if Johnson departs, it will be next man up, per usual. George Pickens seems to have taken the reins of the receiving corps with a stellar sophomore season. They’ve got some young, inexperienced depth in Calvin Austin and Dez Fitzpatrick, as well as some veteran reserve players like Marquez Callaway, Miles Boykin, and Denzel Mims. They will probably want to add to the room to support Pickens, though. While they may take a peek at free agency or trades, like they did last year with Allen Robinson, but they’re just as likely to stick to their usual modus operandi and find a new pass catcher in the draft.
If it means I don’t have to see him catch passes and then immediately run backwards and take himself out of first down yardage anymore, I might be able to live with that.
Do one google search and you’ll find out that isn’t true one bit.
Or I could just attend or watch all of their games, as I do.
Yeah that’s not working out for you too well then.
Just look at the play DJ got hurt on week 1. Behind the line of scrimmage pass he takes for 14 yards.
What exactly did you Google search?
Diontae Johnson YAC myth. Behind the steel curtain did an amazing article on it.
Man I hope the Bears trade for him, Rookie QB starting with a real 1 and 2 for the first time in our pathetic history would be cool DJ Diontae rookie WR
BTSC… using them as a source tells me more than enough about how seriously to take you.
lol it’s an article with a real life analysis of every single one of his catches from 2022. He had -1 YAC on the YEAR! But hey, I can only give you the information – if you’re dumb enough to ignore it that’s your fault.
The article you refer to also says he had 8 plays of losing yards after the catch in 2022. They just supposedly didnt affect the outcome of the game in their opinion.. but the plays did happen. Art Rooney hit on this that season as well..
For a whopping total of -1 YAC on the year. Yeah. All he does is lose yards running backwards LOL. 1 whole yard
Please. I didn’t like signing him in the first place.
Solid stock. Panthers Bills Giants Chiefs Cardinals are super in need of somewhat reliable veteran wideouts especially panthers. Try to get a third for him and call it a deal
Not for that paycheck a third, especially for a one-year mediocre rental. The draft will likely have several quality options left in the third round that could be a cheaper option for the next 3-4 years.
Vets are still important. Lmao you know how much worse panthers could have been without Thielen last year? I say send a third for Johnson if you have 8 picks or more. There are a handful of teams with 11 picks including Arizona. They have about 6-7 in top 100
Again, especially for the Bills, $10 M for a rental when their cap is tight makes zero sense. Picks are worth more
The difference is that Theielen was signed, not traded for, on a lower-AAV contract. Why trade a 3rd for a guy on an expensive one year deal who doesn’t significantly raise the floor? Not to mention, he didn’t give max effort last season and started to become a distraction.
Arizona would be silly to give away a 3rd for an expiring contract when they’re not a contender.
I didn’t think about it like that. You guys make solid points. I still think SOME team will value him. It’s just a matter of who
I agree with that, absolutely. Probably a fringe contender or better, maybe on a similar deal as the one for Jeudy? Houston has a good amount of cap space. So do Indy and Detroit.
Patriots and commanders are loaded too. Bears too but they might go Odunze or Nabers at 9 if they still not taken. DJ just seems like a fringe rebuilding team WR. Saints of not for cap issues could take him, they’re losing Thomas according to new reports.
I’m surprised you’ve mentioned so many teams other than Atlanta, given that they only have one receiver under contract.
I mean….hmmm I would t be against it. But we can do better than DJ lol. My eyes are on Gabe Davis and/or Calvin Ridley. Fingers crossed lol
I figure they’ll draft at least one, but they’re going to need a veteran or two, and I think Cousins is going to take away most of their room for a splash move. Not that I think they would bring back Ridley, anyway. For a lower profile guy, I could see Noah Brown being a rotational fit. Good blocker, played well in a similar scheme last year.
Noah is a free agent? He had some huge games I’d like to see him with us
Oh yeah, for a third or fourth receiver, you could do a lot worse.
Oh yeah
This is true, but I think NE and WSH should only be interested in guys who will be part of the next core (aka long-term guys) since neither should be a fringe contender. But who knows!
No mention to the revolving door of below average QBs also having an affect on Johnson play.
Kenny Picket has been the main culprit having only produced 4400 yards, 14 TDs and 14 INTs not in 1 season but across two seasons with a 14-10 record during that time.
Just for reference Russell Wilson who they recently looked, during his two seasons in Denver he put up 6500 yards, 42 TDs and 19 INTs with a 11–19 record.
6 more games (a lot more which were loses) but 2000 yards more and nearly 30 TDs more.
Dionte Johnson’s numbers falling away is only down to poor QB play and for a team trying to win now only emphasises the need to upgrade at QB. I’d try grab Russell Wilson on a 2 year deal and have Pickett develop underneath him. That’s about the size of you window for competing and In 3 years time both would be off contract and you’d have a decision to make.
His numbers are also falling because he drops passes that should be caught. Did it with Ben, so can’t blame the QBs for everything.
How would his numbers fall if he’s consistently been dropping balls his career.
Numbers falling refers to the fact he was a really nice producer and has regressed statistically, and if he’s constantly done something the whole time is doesn’t really affect the fact something else has made the numbers fall…..
Numbers are falling because he’s dropping even more and now he can’t even run a route correctly. At least that was one thing he was able to do in his early years.
Absolutely right on that
10 Mill and a pick for a one-year rental or draft one of the many WRs with greater potential in the second, if not third round. Easy pass unless Pittsburgh takes a low-rounder and pays a big chunk of his salary.
I have to think the minute he and Pickens got wind of the Steelers possibly signing Russell Wilson, there was a great sea change in terms of attitudes. Maybe they even made some phone calls to Steelers offices to urge the signing
I think Johnson has a great deal of talent and while I’m not excusing the failure to block or his occasional obvious distaste for a poorly thrown pass his way when he’s wide open, the guy has never been utilized here thanks either to weak arm QB’s or offensive schemes built around the idea that they just don’t have a guy who can throw it to him deep
Yeah, he’s had some drops and yeah, he has this tendency to try and do more with the play after he makes the catch. But unlike some of the names listed in the article, we still don’t know what the guy can do
If the idea is to bring Pickett back as his QB, no doubt Johnson would be happy to go
Be one of the dumbest moves the Steelers could make. But for Johnson’s sake, who in their right mind would want to play with Kenny clipboard
Remembering all his dropped passes, I won’t miss him if we can get a decent draft pick.
Tyreke hill dropped 12 passes last year and not one soul would complain with him. Puka nacua 13. Davante Adams, JSN, and diggs round out the top 5.
Diontae dropped 2…. Overused excuse for a WR who had a washed Big Ben, Mitch trubisky, and Kenny Pickett throwing him the ball and still produced.
Exactly. We haven’t seen what Johnson can do with a real QB. I suspect that if Pickett is the choice again—and I still think he is—we won’t see his potential next year, either.
Is it any wonder that Johnson and Pickens voiced their happiness that Rudolph could throw deep and in stride. In the era of big contracts and bonuses, who could blame them?
I’ve looked at Johnson as a guy who tries to make big plays in full knowledge that his offense needs them and such plays aren’t going to happen thanks to the QB’s he’s had here
Many times, he’s tried to do too much or overthought, hence the running backwards after catch or drops. It may sound as if I’m defending the guy when really, he’s been a victim of poor quarterbacking since he arrived. Like having a weapon that can’t be accessed.
Steelers fans are so dumb I swear on god. If I’m Diontae I want a one way ticket out of this town.
If it wasn’t such a deep draft @ WR I woulda hoped they could pull a 2 but with this class I don’t know maybe a 3 will be the best they could get
Hmmm, Johnson isn’t irreplaceable by any means, but this would also essentially guarantee that the Steelers would need to move up receivers need-wise in this year’s draft board. Johnson has been good for the most part, not great, but the Steelers would need a starter opposite Pickens. Johnson has had some notable miscues or off field headlines in his tenure, but he still fills an important role at the moment, and does so at an above average level. The Steelers could certainly upgrade there, and get something in return, but they would probably have to use a Day One or Day Two pick. That may end up being a good strategy, if they avoid a bust obviously, in giving them a younger option with a better cap hit and possibly better size.
On the other hand, if the Steelers decide to pursue Wilson, Johnson seems to be the type of player that would mesh with Wilson’s style. That’s not what I would do personally if it were up to me, but if I am interested in Wilson, Johnson might be a player that could help in that transition.
Agreed. And once again, I have to wonder if this is someone just writing for clickbait because really, a trade would make little sense unless they really *are* going to stick with Pickett and Diontae is looked upon as a real detractor and a guy who’s voiced support of Rudolph
That, I could see, as apparently Kenny has a delicate ego
I look at Tomlin as a guy who has personally sought to mentor Johnson and Pickens. This would be somewhat of a surprise but not if they’ve committed to Pickett 100%
How long after reading that headline will Antonio Brown wait before informing every social media site that he is in great shape and ready to embark on a comeback?