It only took moments after the news broke that the Pittsburgh Steelers were finalizing a trade of wide receiver Allen Robinson, the speculation began. There is a large chunk of the fanbase and even some members of the media who believe trading for Robinson means the Steelers can now try to trade wide receiver Diontae Johnson. Here are three reasons why this isn’t going to happen.
You can't trade your best receiver
Say what you will about the drops but Johnson is the best all-around receiver on the roster. No, he isn’t JaMarr Chase or DeAndre Hopkins but until we see George Pickens getting open consistently and do more than just circus catches, you have to keep the best player on the team.
Kenny Pickett needs him
Last season, Pickett started to get into a groove late last season. Even though it didn’t flash in the boxscore, part of that was due to the connection between Kenny Pickett and his skill players. Pulling Johnson away from Pickett in his second season just to add a rookie to replace him does nothing for the team’s franchise quarterback.
Allen Robinson is a one-year rental
Make no mistake, there’s almost no chance Allen Robinson is on the roster in 2024 unless he does a massive re-work of his contract. Robinson is due $15.75 in 2024 and the Steelers can save it all if they release him prior to June 1 of the next offseason.
