At the NFL trade deadline, there was some debate about whether the Pittsburgh Steelers should re-acquire wide receiver Diontae Johnson. But because of a little known league rule, the discussion was a moot point. NFL teams are not permitted to trade for a player they previously traded away for two years.
However, the exception to that rule is if the player is placed on waivers. That’s exactly what happened with Johnson on December 20.
The Baltimore Ravens announced, ironically, the day prior to facing the Steelers that they have waived Johnson.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted on December 21 that Johnson is likely to be claimed before clearing waivers. Schefter also named the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs as the front runners for the veteran wideout.
But that didn’t stop Pittsburgh pundits and fans on social media from discussing a potential Johnson-Steelers reunion, which is now permitted under league rules.
Quite a few Steelers podcasters pushed for the team to claim or re-sign Johnson.
“I know the fanbase is torn on this one. And nobody wanted him outta Pittsburgh more than me after all the crybaby stuff,” wrote Barstool Sports’ Kevin Adams on X (formerly Twitter). “Lack of effort. Pouting.. but man.. remember how good he was when the QB play was good with Ben? Imagine Russ..
“I’m just sayinnn.
“Would.”
“I’d sign him to a deal thru the end of the season,” tweeted Pittsburgh sports personality Chris Mascaro. “Install him as the WR2 and move Williams to the slot and see how it goes.”
“If you don’t think we should re-sign Diontae Johnson … I don’t what to tell you,” wrote a Steelers fan.
However, some Steelers fans were against the idea of bringing back Johnson.
Could Diontae Johnson Return to Steelers?
Johnson’s 2024 NFL year has been a rather remarkable journey. The Steelers traded the receiver to the Carolina Panthers with one year remaining on his contract early in free agency.
With the move, the Steelers avoided paying him $3 million that he would have received for being on the team’s roster at the beginning of the league year.
In return, the Steelers received starting cornerback Dontae Jackson, who has a career high 5 interceptions.
Johnson started slowly with the Panthers. But after the team switched to veteran signal caller Andy Dalton, Johnson posted three games with at least 78 receiving yards.
Because of his expiring contract, the Panthers dealt Johnson to the Ravens at the NFL trade deadline. But Johnson’s stint in Baltimore was rather unremarkable. In four games, he received just 5 targets and caught 1 pass for 6 yards.
The Ravens suspended Johnson after refusing to enter Baltimore’s Week 13 matchup. He didn’t dress for the Ravens again. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tweeted that the way his tenure in Baltimore ended, Johnson cost himself a lot of money.
“No other way around it: Diontae Johnson lit millions on fire,” Fowler wrote. “Was set to be a top-25 free agent before the issues in Baltimore.”
While Johnson never served a team suspension in Pittsburgh, he was involved in a lot of different controversies early in his career. That’s part of why the Steelers traded him in March, and that’s the reason a lot of fans are hesitant to want him back.
But with George Pickens set to be sidelined again versus the Ravens in Week 16, there’s no denying the Steelers could use Johnson’s talent on the field.
“Both sides needed a fresh start in the offseason,” Steelers Now’s Derrick Bell wrote. “That was understandable regardless of the decisions that followed.
“But it’s also obvious that each party is pretty desperate right now.”
Did the Ravens Delay Waiving Johnson?
The Ravens suspended Johnson on December 4. He never dressed for another game in Baltimore after that.
But the Ravens didn’t waive him for another 16 days. Could that have been because Baltimore was trying to avoid having to face him against the Steelers on December 21?
Some Pittsburgh fans shared that theory on social media.
“I wonder if the Ravens waited an extra week to waive him just so he couldn’t latch on with Pittsburgh before this matchup,” one X user wrote.
Two weeks ago, Pickens was healthy. So Pittsburgh didn’t have a dire need at receiver when the Ravens suspended Johnson.
But it’s still possible Baltimore didn’t want to give the Steelers a chance to re-acquire Johnson before their Week 16 showdown.
The Steelers and Ravens, though, could meet in the postseason. Johnson would be able to play in that matchup if Pittsburgh re-acquires the wideout.
On December 21, the Steelers will have Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin III, Mike Williams and Scotty Miller available to help overcome the loss of Pickens against Baltimore.
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