DONE DEAL :Former Steelers legend Wasn’t Expecting to Be Traded….

The deal saw the Steelers receive Donte Jackson and the 178th pick in this year’s draft in exchange for Johnson and the 240th pick.

At least one of the players involved in the deal wasn’t expecting to get dealt.

Calvin Austin

While speaking to the media on April 23, Johnson revealed that he was surprised that he was traded, but he felt blessed to get a fresh start.

“I felt fortunate and astonished at the same time. Somewhere new to begin. I’ve now lived in Pittsburgh for five years. It’s strange coming here. I’m still getting used to things, but for now I’m having fun.

The Steelers’ Takeaways from the Trade
One of the Steelers’ most pressing requirements at the time of the transaction was a cornerback.

After they let go of Patrick Peterson, they just had Joey Porter Jr. with very little experience at the position.

All that was accomplished by trading for Jackson was to give the secondary .

Jackson hasn’t had a particularly good season. Last season, he gave up 12.4 yards per completion and let opposition quarterbacks complete almost 65% of their pass attempts when they threw to him, according to PFF.

The yards per completion were only 0.1 higher than what Peterson gave up in 2023, and the completion percentage allowed is lower than what the Steelers received from him last season.

They were left without a WR2 in the deal.

George Pickens and Calvin Austin were the only players still playing for the Steelers in 2023 at the moment. Austin’s career receiving yards total is a mere 180.

They have now added Van Jefferson and Quez Watkins, although none of them is a true Johnson replacement.

Due to this, they are still searching for a receiver to take the spot of a guy who, just a few days before the draft, had a very successful five years in Pittsburgh.Pittsburgh’s Johnson’s Run
Investing on Johnson in the third round of the 2019 draft by the Steelers proved to be fruitful for him during his tenure with the team.

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