Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson has had a solid season so far. Despite starting off incredibly slow, largely due to second-year quarterback Bryce Young, Johnson hit his stride when longtime vet QB Andy Dalton got the start over Young, providing an immediate boost to the offense.
In the functional offense, Johnson was peppered with targets and came away with 15 catches for 205 yards and two touchdowns combined in Weeks 3-4. Despite a dud of a game in Week 5 against the tough Chicago Bears defense, Carolina's offensive attack has been much improved.
However, there are rumors Johnson could be traded. Will Johnson be traded at some point this season?
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Will Diontae Johnson Be Traded This Season?
It seems unlikely that a trade will occur at this point. While it's a somewhat common opinion that teams with losing records and poor prospects for their quarterbacks over the next few years will just trade all their assets away when given the chance, no rumors of substance have emerged that this is likely.
𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐎𝐑:
The Panthers have already received trade calls on veteran WR Diontae Johnson.Johnson only has one year left on his deal. pic.twitter.com/eMmphpNvEW
— NFL Notifications (@NFLNotify) September 17, 2024
It's cool that every offseason, there's "breaking news" that teams in need of receivers are interested in exploring trades for receivers. This happens constantly, and there are far more rumors than trades. The Kansas City Chiefs lost their top WR, Rashee Rice, to a season-ending injury. Why wouldn't they do their due diligence?
There is a head coach, offensive staff, and personnel managers who want to keep their jobs. They just traded for Johnson in the offseason. The NFL doesn't hold a massive fire sale each season where all the losing teams desperately shop their assets for a chance to tank for a higher draft pick.
Diontae Johnson Fantasy Football Outlook
He's a WR1/WR2, depending on the matchup, as long as Dalton is the quarterback. Without him, things get a lot murkier. It's reasonable to believe his down game against Chicago was the exception rather than the rule, as they have one of the toughest defenses in the league and made life hell for Dalton.
He should still be started every week, though there are a few matchups down the road where it's reasonable to bench him (vs Denver and Kansas City, especially). He will still earn a fantastic target share because he's the clear best receiver on the team.
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