“Steelers Gambled with Johnson Trade.” 3 times Superbowl Legend condemns Trade replacement.
In 2023, Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, and Tim Patrick were solid tertiary options for their team. The Steelers, benefiting from a talented tight end in Pat Freiermuth and versatile running backs Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren, still heavily rely on their wide receivers for success.
George Pickens is a strong player who showed improvement towards the end of last season, but with Johnson now playing elsewhere, Pickens is likely to face more double coverage.
The issue with the Johnson trade is the lack of a backup plan. Pittsburgh did not sign or trade for another receiver, nor did they draft one early, leaving a significant gap behind Pickens.
Given that Wilson is not the same quarterback he was with the Seahawks, one would expect the Steelers to provide him with ample support. Instead, they drafted a receiver in the third round and considered their job done.
While Roman Wilson could potentially become a solid No. 2 option behind Pickens and build a good connection with Russ, it seems like the Steelers are putting a lot of pressure on Wilson to perform on his own.
This might have been feasible five years ago, but now, Russ likely needs more help. The Steelers might regret trading Johnson.