Panthers' Diontae Johnson: WR Contracts Motivate Me to 'Keep Working' After Trade

As Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson enters the final year of his current contract, he's hoping to take advantage of the booming market for his position.

Johnson, who was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers partly because they didn't want to sign him to a contract extension, told reporters on Tuesday that he's motivated to land one of the big-money deals that's been handed out this offseason.

"It's crazy," Johnson said. "Everybody getting all these big contracts — it just motivates me to keep working. God gonna give it to me when he ready, so I just gotta keep stacking days and not really worry about . . . keep pressing. If I press, that's gonna throw my game off and I'm doing stuff I don't normally do out there trying to make plays. But just gotta stay relaxed, just keep being humble, make my plays."

This offseason has seen a major reset of the wide receiver market, with the likes of Justin Jefferson, A.J. Brown, Jaylen Waddle and Amon-Ra St. Brown all earning major paydays, among others. There are still some players awaiting new deals like CeeDee Lamb and Ja'Marr Chase.

While Johnson is in his first year with the Panthers, he's already open to remaining with the franchise beyond the 2024 season, adding that "if they feel like they want to extend me, then I'm all for it."

Johnson reached the 1,000-yard mark just once in his five-year tenure in Pittsburgh, and he finished the 2023 season with 51 catches for 717 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games. He should have an opportunity to make more of an impact with a Carolina team that desperately needed a No. 1 wide receiver for quarterback Bryce Young as he enters his second year in the NFL.

A big year in 2024 could be enough for Johnson to land the contract extension he desires.