NFL Rumors: Steelers traded Diontae Johnson to save George Pickens

The Pittsburgh Steelers are no strangers to controversial wide receivers. Although the story of Antonio Brown's meteoric rise and subsequent nosedive is well-known, he was just one of many Pittsburgh wide receivers that were traded due to sideline outbursts, locker room arguments, or off-field issues. This offseason, another wide receiver joined that list.

On Tuesday, the Steelers traded wide receiver Diontae Johnson to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson and a late-round pick swap. Steelers insider Gerry Dulac claims that Pittsburgh parted ways with Johnson because they were concerned about his influence on George Pickens, the team's budding star receiver.

Steelers thought Diontae Johnson was a bad influence for George Pickens

Dulac said that Johnson serving as a negative role model was "a large part" of the decision to move on, but he also added that it "seems comical" that someone could be a negative influence on Pickens.

Entering the 2022 NFL Draft, character concerns were a common theme on scouting reports for Pickens. The talented Georgia wide receiver fell into the second round due to questions about his maturity before the Steelers selected him with the No. 52 overall pick. Although Pickens has flashed the ability to be one of the league's best receivers, there have been a few concerning incidents over the past two seasons. Pickens has complained about not receiving enough targets on multiple occasions and stirred distractions with social media antics. He was also fined by the league for taunting penalties in consecutive weeks.

Steelers head coach Tomlin described the concern about Pickens as an overblown story and a pebble in his shoe, but Dulac's claims suggest otherwise. If Johnson's trade is an attempt to fix Pittsburgh's culture in the receiver room, it's long overdue. Fans have been fatigued by generations of disgruntled wideouts, from Hines Ward to Antonio Brown to Martavis Bryant to JuJu Smith-Schuster to Chase Claypool.

Diontae Johnson made his fair share of contributions to locker room drama. He was criticized for his lack of effort in 2023, while incidents with his teammates became more commonplace. Johnson had a heated halftime argument with Mitch Trubisky in Week 4 of the 2022 NFL season, and he had a heated post-game argument with Minkah Fitzpatrick following a Week 11 loss in 2023.

"The Steelers had enough," Dulac says. "They were moving on from [Johnson] one way or another."

Johnson was selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he made his impact felt immediately. Johnson led the team in receptions, receiving yards or touchdowns every season since being selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He was a second-team All-Pro punt returner as a rookie and earned his first Pro Bowl in 2021. The 27-year-old wideout amassed 4,363 yards and 25 touchdowns during his five-year tenure with the Steelers.