Panthers WR Diontae Johnson speaks on being offense's No. 1 option

Where’s Diontae Johnson?

That was one of yesterday’s biggest takeaways from Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales, who told reporters that he wants opposing defenses to think about his wideout’s whereabouts at all times. Well, Johnson could be found at that very lectern on Thursday, where he was asked about being his offense’s No. 1 option.

“It’s great to have him [Canales] say that,” Johnson said. “My work speaks for itself. I’m gonna continue to work and get my teammates better all around, and just continue to bring my best effort and my best attitude each and every day.”

Johnson, whom the Panthers acquired back in March for this very purpose, was then asked about one of those teammates—fellow veteran Adam Thielen.

“Adam’s great,” he replied. “He’s a guy that can get open as well, too. He knows the game, been in the league a long time. Just ’cause he’s older, it doesn’t mean that I can’t learn from him. He’s not as fast as me, doesn’t mean I can’t learn from him.”

Thielen led the Panthers in targets (137), receptions (103) and receiving yards (1,014) this past season. With Johnson now in the fold, those numbers may look quite a bit different by the time the 2024 campaign is up.

But whatever the final stats may be, Johnson and Thielen are probably hoping for more widespread success for Carolina’s offense—no matter who their go-to guy is.