Panthers’ Diontae Johnson discusses Steelers trade, reputation

During a recent conversation with Joseph Person of The Athletic, wide receiver Diontae Johnson discussed being traded by the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Carolina Panthers this offseason. 

"It’s a business," Johnson said. "I had a great time in Pittsburgh. They took a chance on me in 2019 and I can’t thank them enough. I’m just happy to be here in Charlotte. I won’t call it a fresh start, but it’s another opportunity to do what I can, to help another program win games. So I’m gonna bring my best foot forward and my best attitude to the team, and try to do what I can to help change things around here." 

Johnson originally joined the Steelers as a 2019 third-round draft pick and earned a single Pro Bowl nod across his first five NFL seasons. However, he received criticism this past fall when he failed to jump on a fumble during a game, displayed frustration on the sidelines presumably over a lack of targets and completed a lengthy touchdown celebration even though Pittsburgh was trailing by double-digits in the fourth quarter of the club's 24-10 Week 13 loss to the lowly Arizona Cardinals. 

Following the Arizona defeat, Johnson interestingly suggested that the Steelers took the Cardinals more "lightly than we should have." Some believed even before the trade that the 27-year-old needed to mature to be his best self on the field and in the locker room, but he seemed to brush such takes off. 

"Everybody’s gonna have their opinion about me," Johnson told Person. "People are gonna say what they want to say about me. But I know what type of player I am. I know what type of attitude I bring to the table. I didn’t really pay attention to stuff like that. I can only control what I can control."

The Panthers acquired Johnson and made other noteworthy offseason moves to help quarterback Bryce Young, who struggled throughout his rookie season. Johnson discussed building chemistry with Young during springtime and summer workouts. 

"They didn’t really have guys to get open last year," Johnson said about the Panthers. "So me being in this offense is a big impact for him and the rest of the guys around him. So we can all learn from each other, learn from (veteran receiver Adam Thielen). Adam can learn from me. So those little things matter. Everybody getting on the same page, that goes a long way."

As of Friday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Panthers' over/under win total for the upcoming season at 5.5. Johnson and company hope to make such predictions look silly by Week 18, assuming Young enjoys a turnaround campaign.