Diontae Johnson trade rumors: NFC Super Bowl contenders land Panthers WR in latest proposal
With the NFL trade deadline approaching in 10 days, Diontae Johnson has become the latest player to come under speculation as he's being linked to a number of different franchises.
We have already seen wide receivers move from teams that are not expected to make the playoffs to rosters that have a genuine chance of contending in the postseason. Some examples are Amari Cooper leaving the Cleveland Browns and going to the Buffalo Bills. As long as Josh Allen is there, they should be involved in the business end of the season.
Davante Adams moved from the Las Vegas Raiders to the New York Jets, who are considered contenders, despite their record, because Aaron Rodgers is their quarterback.
The latest such move was DeAndre Hopkins ditching the mess that is the Tennessee Titans and moving to the Kansas City Chiefs. He will be catching throws from Patrick Mahomes and running on routes designed by Andy Reid. He will also fill a need for the repeat Super Bowl champions, who are missing Hollywood Brown and Rashee Rice from their wide receivers corps.
Now, one rumor expects Diontae Johnson to perform a similar role for NFC's representatives in last season's Super Bowl, the San Francisco 49ers. Earlier thought to be one of the favorites to lift the Lombardi Trophy, they are currently 3-4 and bottom of the NFC West. Much of that has been due to injuries to key players like Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings.
Now, Brandon Aiyuk is out for the full year with a knee injury. Rookie Ricky Pearsall is the only obvious option for the 49ers at the moment, and he is rusty after missing the early part of 2024 due to a shooting incident that left him injured right before the season began. Therefore, Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports is proposing that Johnson should go to San Francisco and help reinvigorate the 49ers.
Panthers could be willing to offload Diontae Johnson as they seek to rebuild again
Diontae Johnson was brought in by the Panthers to help Bryce Young's offensive options but that plan has since been thrown out of the window. With the second-year quarterback having been benched and the uncertainty regarding his future, there is a need in Carolina to start all over again.
Johnson and Adam Thielen are both listed out of their upcoming game, despite the player confirming he is good to go. This likely signals the Panthers' intentions to find a suitable trade partner for both players.
By trading the wide receiver away, they have a chance to get some draft picks that they can stock for the future. The experience will be good for Johnson too, who last made the Pro Bowl in 2021, as he will get to play with an elite offense.