The Pittsburgh Steelers were unable to secure Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders, who landed with the New York Jets via a trade on Tuesday, October 15.
Now 0-for-2 on big name wideouts this calendar year -- including Brandon Aiyuk, who Pittsburgh pursued via a trade over the summer but ultimately extended with the San Francisco 49ers -- the Steelers are primed to act aggressively to secure another pass catcher ahead of the NFL's November 5 deadline.
The best places to look for candidates are players on sizable contracts with bad teams that have no reason to keep paying good receivers big money. One name that pops out is former Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson, who is currently earning $37 million from the Carolina Panthers on a two-year deal and playing in his final season of that contract.
Pittsburgh dealt Johnson to the Panthers in March. Johnson had expressed discontent with inconsistent quarterback play that contributed to him scoring zero TDs during the 2022 campaign, just one year after earning Pro Bowl honors on the strength of 107 catches for 1,161 yards and 8 TDs -- all of which were career-high totals.
But things are different in Pittsburgh now, at least to some degree. The Steelers are 4-2 with former No. 11 overall pick Justin Fields under center and former Super Bowl champion QB Russell Wilson waiting in the wings if anything goes wrong.
"With Adams and [Amari] Cooper both netting Day 2 draft selections, Carolina might have to entertain the idea of moving Johnson. Despite playing in a lackluster offense, he's generated 29 receptions for 340 yards and [3] touchdowns this season," Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report wrote Wednesday. "The Steelers might want to try reacquiring Johnson, who they traded to Carolina for cornerback Donte Jackson in the offseason."
Pittsburgh selected Johnson with the 66th overall pick in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft. He tallied 391 receptions for 4,363 yards and 25 TDs during his five years with the Steelers.
