Diontae Johnson admits frustration amid Panthers’ struggles: Top possible landing spots for WR; Chiefs option?

The Carolina Panthers dropped to 1-6 on the season with a 40-7 defeat at the hands of the largely Jayden Daniels-less Washington Commanders on Sunday. It was the latest in what has been a demoralizing season for Carolina, which has been outscored 148-61 over the last month. Now, it appears some frustrations are boiling over inside the locker room. 

Following this latest loss to Washington, Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who caught one of his three targets for 17 yards in Week 7, expressed his displeasure with the team’s effort. 

“Frustrated, but I can’t play every position on the field and make every play,” Johnson told reporters, via The Athletic. “Everybody’s got to do their job when it comes down to it. Yeah, it’s tough, but I just tell myself to keep going regardless.” 

On top of being shut out through the first three quarters and managing just 180 yards of total offense, Carolina’s defense had no answer for the Commanders, who were largely quarterbacked by backup Marcus Mariota following an early rib injury to Daniels. Washington piled up 421 total yards of offense and 26 first downs en route to 40 points. 

For Johnson, the wideout began his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers before being traded to the Panthers this offseason. Prior to this season, the pass catcher had been a part of teams that had no greater than eight losses in a given season, and he’s now on track to endure that midway through his first campaign with Carolina. 

Given the team’s struggles and the fact that Johnson is slated to be a free agent at the end of this season, it does make one wonder whether or not he could be dealt before the Nov. 5 trade deadline. 

If the Panthers do elect to trade Johnson, here are a handful of potential landing spots. 

This is an obvious pairing. The Chiefs have been on the outside looking as big-name receivers like Amari Cooper and Davante Adams have been dealt, and there remains a clear need to improve the pass-catching talent around Patrick Mahomes. That need only grew following the season-ending injury to Rashee Rice, and Johnson could be an ideal rental as they look to win a third straight Super Bowl. Johnson entered this season with a base salary of just $7 million. 

A 1-6 team after Week 7 really shouldn’t be looked at as buyers at the trade deadline, but there’s a case to be made here for the Patriots to get in on Johnson. Drake Maye has flashed in his first two starts, but it’s remarkably clear that the roster around him isn’t good, which includes the wide receiver position. If New England looks at Johnson as a long-term piece to pair with Maye, it might make sense to acquire him now with the intent to re-sign him beyond 2024. That would pave the way for New England to land a former All-Pro receiver who likely wouldn’t be chomping at the bit to sign with them as a free agent this offseason. 

New Orleans has been sniffing around available receivers dating back to the summer, but hasn’t been able to strike a deal yet. With Rashid Shaheed reportedly suffering a season-ending knee injury and Chris Olave missing time due to a concussion, the need to add to the receiver room has only increased. 

It looks like the 49ers may have lost Brandon Aiyuk to a season-ending knee injury. Couple that latest injury with running back Christian McCaffrey still sidelined, along with pass catchers Deebo Samuel and George Kittle getting dinged up at times this season, and San Francisco could use a jolt on offense. They are firmly in a Super Bowl window, so general manager John Lynch should be doing everything in his power to maximize this 2024 club. That now includes adding another receiver like Johnson to steady the ship for Brock Purdy.