The Pittsburgh Steelers shocked a lot of fans during the 2024 offseason when they decided to part ways with Diontae Johnson. Johnson had been an important part of the Steelers for five seasons, so it was a bit mind-boggling to see the organization trade him away to the Carolina Panthers. Pittsburgh doesn't often make moves like this, and if they do, it must be for a good reason. In this case, Johnson had been a distraction at times during the 2023 season, and reports of him potentially holding out in 2024 began circulating.
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Diontae Johnson escapes a defensive back from the Cincinnati Bengals.
When Pittsburgh got rid of Johnson, they also got rid of a ton of off-field drama while upgrading their defense. They got a solid starting cornerback in Donte Jackson, who has played six seasons in the NFL. He has plenty of experience, and is one of the fastest cornerbacks in the league. Jackson spoke to the media after a recent practice, where he spoke on the trade directly and talked about how it feels coming to Pittsburgh.
"I know Diontae was a great fan favorite, a great player. So I’m not going to come in and try to be that, to match that. I’m just going to come in and be myself. My game is going to speak for itself. I’ll be a household name just by going out there and playing football.”
The reactions to the trade were fairly split. Many fans were happy Johnson was leaving, and many were unhappy with the return Pittsburgh got. There was some speculation that Jackson wouldn't even be a starter, or would switch to slot corner in Pittsburgh. He has been a starter on the outside for six seasons, his talents have just been in the shadows of a horrific organization in Carolina.
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Cornerback Donte Jackson getting warmed up for the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2024 OTAs.
Jackson had one of his worst years in 2023, but he was also surrounded by a bad defense with the Panthers. In Pittsburgh, the defense will be able to get to the quarterback much faster, and Jackson will have better help in the secondary. He will have Joey Porter Jr. playing opposite him, and Minkah Fitzpatrick playing center field. Jackson spoke more about his career up until this point.
"At corner, the spotlight is always on that position. I like to think I’ve always been a solid guy who is out there making plays. It just hasn’t been in front of the right eyes.”
Carolina has been one of the worst teams in the league since Jackson entered the NFL in 2018. The past two seasons, the team could barely win a game, and before that, they were still consistently one of the 10 worst teams in the league. Being a bad team means less prime time games. It means less general coverage on talk shows. Now, in Pittsburgh, Jackson has a chance to finally earn the respect he deserves at this position.
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Donte Jackson playing against Antonio Brown.
Steelers' Donte Jackson Can Contribute Off Of The Field As Well
Jackson quickly became the most experienced player in the cornerback room upon his arrival. That isn't the case anymore, as Pittsburgh signed Cam Sutton, who entered the league in 2017. Regardless, Jackson knows how to be a leader in the secondary, and his experience could also be valuable to the young cornerbacks in the room.
Porter Jr. had a great rookie year in 2023, but that doesn't mean he doesn't still need a veteran to help him early on in his career. Darius Rush and Cory Trice Jr. are another pair of second-year players who could use guidance. Rush played a handful of snaps in 2023, while Trice suffered a season-ending injury in training camp last season.
The Steelers got a ton of value by trading for a player like Jackson, while also being able to get rid of someone who has a history of being a distraction. Jackson is now more in the spotlight than he ever was in Carolina, and it'll be interesting to see if he is ready for it in 2024.
What do you think of Jackson's remarks? Comment below!
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