Diontae Johnson is set for a double reunion with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being traded to the Baltimore Ravens by the Carolina Panthers on Monday.
Johnson was only traded by the Steelers to Carolina for defensive back Donte Jackson and a pick swap back in March, and made a solid start to the season with the lowly Panthers. He has 357 yards and three touchdowns in seven starts and is a welcome upgrade to the receiving corps, which also includes the likes of Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor.
The terms of the deal between Baltimore and Carolina are a late-round pick swap, and the Ravens will pick up the remainder of Johnson’s $3.8 million salary this season before he becomes a free agent in 2025.
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By returning to the AFC North, Johnson will face the Steelers twice in the coming weeks. The Ravens (5-3) travel to Accrisure Stadium on Nov. 17 before hosting Pittsburgh (6-2) at M&T Bank Stadium on Dec. 21.
The stakes are high for both matchups, with the old rivals dueling it out to win the division, and Johnson will hope he gets the bragging rights over his former employers as the Ravens look to go one better than last season’s defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game.
Johnson was a third-round pick for the Steelers in 2019 and quickly became a core part of the offense, combining for more than 1,600 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns across his first two seasons in the league. In his third year, he broke the 1,000-yard mark.
But his returns diminished thereafter and he polarized the fanbase with his conduct during his final season with the team. Although his raw talent was obvious, he allowed his emotions to get the better of him.
He was blasted for a lack of effort in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals last year, losing his cool after a touchdown was taken off the board on video review. On the ensuing play, he made no effort whatsoever to make a block and was forced to apologize to his teammates.
Johnson was also embroiled in a heated locker room argument with defensive leader Minkah Fitzpatrick 12 months ago. According to ESPN, the situation was sparked by Johnson “chirping” members of the team’s coaching staff after sharing some choice words with head coach Mike Tomlin on the sideline, with Cameron Hayward and T.J. Watt required to intervene and stop the argument.
Just a few months down the line, the Steelers decided to cut ties with Johnson. But their paths will cross again soon, adding spice to an already intense rivalry between the Steelers and Ravens.
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