For eight seasons, Luke Kuechly patrolled the center of the field for the Carolina Panthers and became one of the better middle linebackers the NFL had seen in recent years.
He ended his career with seven Pro Bowl nods, five All-Pro First Team selections, a Defensive Player of the Year award and a trip to Super Bowl 50.
The Panthers are coming off a dismal season, but they have a young and promising quarterback in Bryce Young, not to mention a legitimate threat in wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who was acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason.
Kuechly said on “Up & Adams” that he feels Johnson will help his former team, especially in key situations when a first down is needed.
Johnson caught 51 passes for 717 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games for the Steelers last season. His best season came in 2021 when he had 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns, which earned him a spot in the Pro Bowl.
However, he appeared to be unhappy at times last season while in Pittsburgh, such as when he reportedly had a heated discussion with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick after a late-season contest against the Cleveland Browns.
In Carolina, Johnson will team up with wideout Adam Thielen to give Young two veteran playmakers in the passing game.
Young had a brutal rookie season, but there are enough people in Carolina who believe he can still become a good quarterback — if not a franchise quarterback — and Johnson can help make that happen.
