Diontae Johnson, a wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is the subject of intensifying trade speculations. So much so that NFL writers this offseason have started to speculate about possible trade destinations for Johnson.
Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report suggested that Johnson could sign with the Dallas Cowboys.
It would require some work to fit Johnson’s $15.8 million cap charge on Dallas’ books given their yearly cap problems, but extending the 27-year-old would take care of that problem, according to Davenport.
“This week, Dallas received two compensatory draft picks, giving the Cowboys additional draft capital to use in Let’s Make a Deal. Furthermore, the team might be willing to pay the rumored asking price of a Day 2 pick in order to get Johnson if Jones is sincere about going “all in.”
In exchange for the 27-year-old receiver, Davenport suggested the Cowboys give the Steelers their third and seventh-round picks in 2024.
But Davenport also offered trade suggestions that included the Arizona Cardinals, New York Giants, New York Jets, and Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for Johnson, in addition to the Cowboys.
Johnson, a 2021 Pro Bowler, suffered a hamstring injury in the 2023 season that caused him to miss four games. However, he still finished with 51 receptions, 717 receiving yards, and 5 touchdowns in 13 games.
Regarding WR Diontae Johnson, the Steelers are “open to listening” to NFL trade offers.
The initial mention of the Johnson trade rumors came from Mark Madden of TribLive.com, who stated that the Steelers might let go of the seasoned receiver this offseason on an episode of the Breakfast with Benz podcast on February 19.
The notion gained national attention on March 3 when Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda reported that the Steelers were open to moving wide receiver Josh Johnson in exchange for “fair compensation,” despite the wideout not being on the trade market.
On March 9, Dianna Russini of The Athletic gave that report more vigor.
Diontae Johnson is a wide receiver with the Steelers, and they are open to trade offers, Russini stated on X (previously Twitter). The league’s general managers are preparing for free agency, and there is interest from them.
Of those clubs, the Cowboys might be one. When it came to receiving yards, Dallas had just one receiver with more than 660, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who led the NFL with 1,749 yards. Additionally, in order to free up cap money, Davenport proposed that the Cowboys release wide receiver Michael Gallup.
Since his current contract expires in 2024, Johnson has emerged as a trade candidate in the last month. Omar Khan, the general manager of the Steelers, refused to answer questions about whether the team has started contract talks with Johnson during the NFL combine.
During an appearance on 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show on March 4, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic hinted that Johnson might not be keen on rejoining the Steelers.
In any case, Johnson effectively described his trade speculations on social media on March 3 as just individuals chatting.
Johnson Decision by the Steelers Is Upcoming?
It might be said that Johnson is being actively pursued by the Steelers. The organization is putting out the notion that they don’t need to deal the veteran receiver in an attempt to obtain the best trade value in exchange.
Nonetheless, a transaction could have an expiration date.
Johnson is eligible for a $3 million bonus on March 16 according to a tweet from Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac on March 9. Johnson’s new team will pay that bonus if he is dealt.
Unless the transaction closes after that date, that is. The Steelers will need to sell Johnson by March 16 in order to avoid having to pay that $3 million incentive.
Consequently, it seems quite possible that the Steelers will deal for Johnson during the first week of free agency if they decide to do so. If there is no trade, there is a greater chance that Johnson will go back to Pittsburgh in 2024.
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