The Carolina Panthers, rumored to be interested in acquiring a wide receiver for several months, finally found a new pass catcher for second-year quarterback Bryce Young. On Tuesday, the Panthers agreed to acquire Diontae Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.
Panthers Trade for Steelers WR Diontae Johnson
To land Johnson, Carolina orchestrated a rare player-for-player trade. The Panthers are sending cornerback Donte Jackson to Pittsburgh in a deal that also involves draft picks.
Here are the full terms of the swap, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network:
- Panthers acquire: WR Diontae Johnson, 2024 seventh-round pick (No. 240)
- Steelers acquire: CB Donte Jackson, 2024 sixth-round pick (No. 178)
Johnson has one season remaining on his contract. With a $7 million salary and a $3 million roster bonus, he’ll carry a $10 million cap charge for Carolina.
Viewed as the Steelers’ WR1 during the latter portion of Ben Roethlisberger’s tenure, Johnson’s best season came in 2021 when he earned Pro Bowl honors after posting 107 catches for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns.
Johnson had gradually ceded targets to fellow WR George Pickens since then, but he remained efficient. He ranked seventh in ESPN’s player-tracking-centric WR metrics, primarily due to his ability to create consistent separation.
Johnson is more than worth the risk for the Panthers, who need to add all the weapons around Young that their salary cap and draft position will allow. Carolina had to replace DJ Chark Jr., a free agent who has not agreed to terms with any team during the legal tampering window.
While Johnson is a veteran, he’s still entering his age-28 campaign. Adding another 30+ WR to play alongside Adam Thielen would’ve been a mistake for the Panthers, but there’s reason to believe Johnson has a few more productive seasons left.
Jackson is also in his contract year. His base salary ($4.723 million), roster bonus ($4 million), per-game roster bonuses ($1.7 million), and workout bonus ($200,000) will transfer to Pittsburgh, leading to a cap figure of roughly $10.523 million.
Jackson was viewed as a candidate for release, which shows just how far Johnson must have fallen in the Steelers’ eyes. Pittsburgh might try to convince Jackson to reduce his salary as he joins the squad. Either way, he’ll likely start at CB opposite Joey Porter Jr. in 2024.
While Jackson fills a defensive void, the Steelers now need more pass-catching talent. Pickens is atop the club’s WR depth chart, but Pittsburgh must add more options to compete with Calvin Austin III, Denzel Mims, and others.
The free agent market is still rife with receivers if the Steelers are interested. Calvin Ridley appears close to signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars or New England Patriots, but Marquise Brown, Curtis Samuel, Odell Beckham Jr., Tyler Boyd, and others are available.
Fantasy Fallout From Johnson Joining the Panthers
After the Steelers signed the conservative Russell Wilson, Johnson’s stock seemingly stabilized as a PPR Flex option in what was projected as a low-octane offense that would offer a safe floor to compensate for a lack of a ceiling.
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However, Johnson now finds himself back in a situation that lacks proof of concept at the QB position and thus puts his weekly value in question. Adam Thielen was able to sustain value for a month in Carolina’s underwhelming offense by way of volume in the short passing game — but now these two veterans are sharing that role.
This is a downtick in value for all involved in redraft leagues, though it gives Bryce Young more support for those dynasty managers hoping for a significant step forward in Year 2.
— PFN Fantasy Analyst Kyle Soppe
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