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Brooke Pryor, ESPN Staff Writer
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are shipping wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers for cornerback Donte Jackson and a pick swap, league sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
The Steelers will send the Panthers a receiver and a seventh-round draft pick, and they will receive a sixth-round draft pick for a cornerback.
Johnson was the Steelers' most experienced wide receiver and longest-tenured offensive player. The third-round pick in the 2019 draft is in the final year of his contract, giving the Panthers a $10 million cap hit and leaving Pittsburgh with $5.8 million in dead cap space.
The trade has not yet been officially announced, but Johnson said goodbye to Pittsburgh on social media.
“Five years ago you brought me in and treated me like family from day one,” he wrote. “I will always be grateful for the memories I made and the relationships I will cherish forever. To my teammates, coaches, staff, and fans who were there through the good times and the bad. They made me the person I am today. Thank you for helping me grow into a better person.”Today. “
Jackson, on the other hand, has spent his entire career in Carolina after being selected in the second round of the 2018 draft. He started 16 games in 2023 after ending his 2022 season prematurely with an Achilles injury. Jackson is also in the final year of his contract and has a hit cap hit of $10.6 million with the Steelers and a dead cap hit of $9.7 million with the Panthers.
League sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler last week that the Panthers were planning to trade or release Jackson, who has 14 interceptions, including four in his rookie season. He hasn't had a single interception this season. Jackson's departure leaves Carolina searching for a starting corner to complement Jaycee Horn. But as the Panthers look to rebound from last season's NFL-worst 2-15 record, Johnson will give quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft, an extra playmaker.
Young's only returning receivers to make an impact in 2023 were Adam Thielen and rookie Jonathan Mingo. Johnson immediately gave Young a deep threat that the former Alabama star didn't have a year ago, averaging 5.5 yards per pass attempt and ranking 32nd in the NFL.
After failing to score a single touchdown last season, Johnson had five touchdown receptions and 717 receiving yards on 51 catches in 2023. Johnson also set a career-high with eight touchdown receptions in quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's final year and achieved his only 1,000-yard season, earning him a Pro Bowl berth in 2021.
In five seasons with the Steelers, Johnson had 4,363 receiving yards with 391 catches and 25 touchdowns.
Johnson was criticized in 2023 for not going after loose balls and clearly not trying hard enough during a play against the Cleveland Browns, and in 2020 he drew the ire of fans with a season full of drops, but his teammates received frequent accolades. And coached his route running and ability to get open.
The departure of Johnson and the release of Allen Robinson creates a need at wide receiver, but George Pickens is a clear threat in the passing game and the team has an up-and-coming talent in Calvin Austin III.
Adding Jackson fills the hole in the secondary created by the release of Patrick Peterson. Adding a cornerback to pair with second-year forward Joey Porter Jr. is a priority, and Jackson is the first step to filling that position with a veteran.
ESPN's David Newton contributed to this report.
