In this universe, Diontae Johnson is heading into the 2024 campaign as the No. 1 receiver for the Carolina Panthers. But in a parallel one, he might have been the key to a deal with far-reaching implications and an even longer storyline.
After a stalemate that would’ve made the great Alexey Troitsky blush, the San Francisco 49ers and wideout Brandon Aiyuk finally found some middle ground on a brand-new agreement. The sides, as first reported on Thursday night, reached a massive four-year, $120 million extension for the Second-team All-Pro pass catcher.
The pact was preceded by an exhausting months-long standoff between the reigning NFC champions and Aiyuk, who “held in” through the point of initial roster cuts to get his paper on paper. Heck, it was so lengthy and so tedious to follow that much of the football world opted to hold out from the hold-in.
Aiyuk’s long journey to the bag was paved with a bit of uncertainty about his future in The Bay. The 49ers, at one point, allowed the 26-year-old to seek out a trade with a team that would meet his terms.
At least two teams were reportedly willing to give Aiyuk what he was looking for—the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots. But his unwillingness to accept a move to either team kept him around in San Francisco.
One of the potential suitors he was amenable to was the Pittsburgh Steelers—who tried their hand at extracting Excalibur. According to The Athletic‘s Diana Russini, however, they hit a bit of a snag . . .
The 49ers only were willing to trade Brandon Aiyuk if they could get a top-flight WR to replace him. They offered a third-round pick to Denver for Courtland Sutton, and then would’ve dealt Aiyuk to the Steelers, but the Broncos declined the offer.
So, he stays in SF.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 29, 2024
Well, this is where the Panthers come in . . . or came in.
Back in March, at the start of the new league year, Carolina acquired a “top-flight” wide receiver. Yeah, Johnson.
And do you remember who they acquired that “top-flight” wide receiver from? Yeah, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Johnson was reeled in for cornerback Donte Jackson and a 2024 draft pick swap. The Steelers were at the end of their line with Johnson and the Panthers were prepared to move on from Jackson, who was set to account for a $10.5 million hit this upcoming season.
So Russini’s interesting tidbit from Thursday night begs the question—could Johnson have been of use to Pittsburgh in their pursuit of Aiyuk? Would the Steelers have pulled off the blockbuster swap if they had a Pro Bowl wideout of their own to offer up?
Perhaps.
Incredibly enough, Johnson may have been a perfect fit in San Francisco.
For one, the financials would’ve matched up to the organization’s timeline. Johnson is effectively on a one-year deal with a relatively manageable $10 million, over $4 million less than what Aiyuk was lined up for on his fifth-year option in 2024.
He also may have thrived in the 49ers offense. The name of the game for head coach Kyle Shanahan is getting open and getting open quickly, a major strength of Johnson’s skill set.
But back to our universe.
In the end, most of the parties involved in our cooked-up scenario (directly or indirectly) got what they wanted. The Niners got their guy back, Aiyuk got his contract, the Panthers got quarterback Bryce Young some much-needed help and Johnson got a team that promised to get him the ball.
Sadly for the Steelers, they didn’t get a shiny new toy. They got a cornerback who the Panthers would’ve ended up releasing anyway.
That, though, may not be here nor there.
Would Pittsburgh have benefitted from not cutting bait with Johnson so swiftly? Would San Francisco have even been interested in him if those talks came their way? And did Carolina get lucky?
Who knows? We’re just having a little bit of fun in the NFL multiverse.
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