The idea that the Pittsburgh Steelers traded WR Diontae Johnson this offseason at least in part to keep him away from influencing George Pickens gained traction among fans. We’ve even seen some hints of that in reports from certain beat writers here and there. But I’m not sure there’s a major storyline in Pittsburgh this offseason that hasn’t seen contradictory reporting.
The story of why the Steelers traded Johnson is no exception, as one would expect. But while I wouldn’t encourage anybody to buy verbatim everything the Steelers say about why they do what they do, it’s also important not to simply believe whatever reports you prefer are true.