As the Ravens prepare for their Steelers rematch, Diontae Johnson will not take part in a revenge game. Although Johnson played against the Steelers as a Raven previously, he has made next to no impact with his current team. The shifty wide receiver remains without a role in Baltimore.
The Ravens suspended Johnson for a game for refusing to enter the team’s Week 13 matchup against the Eagles. That suspension took effect in Week 15, and Johnson is eligible to return to the Ravens. He will not do so this week, the team announced. The Ravens are not classifying this as an extension of the wideout’s ban but rather a mutual agreement between the parties to remain separate. The sides are “working through their options,” per NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo.
It would seem the Ravens are aiming to avoid cutting Johnson and making him available to another contending team on waivers. The 49ers have gone through with a three-game suspension for De’Vondre Campbell for refusing to enter their Week 15 game. At this stage of his career, Campbell would not make the kind of difference to a contender Johnson would. As such, it appears Baltimore is stashing the former Pittsburgh WR1 right now.
“There are reasons for doing things, front office-type reasons,” John Harbaugh said (via The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec) when asked why the team is not releasing Johnson. “I want to think about Pittsburgh and the guys who are going to be here getting ready to play Pittsburgh. That’s my focus 100%.”
Johnson has gone from the Steelers’ most targeted wideout to a player who showed flashes with the Panthers to a non-factor as a Raven. Baltimore let Odell Beckham Jr. walk this year and did not make significant additions at the position this offseason, bringing back its Zay Flowers–Rashod Bateman–Nelson Agholor trio. Beckham did secure his release from the Dolphins; he is available on waivers today. As of now, the Ravens are not letting Johnson go that easily.
A strong route runner who has consistently created separation (albeit with drop trouble mixed in at points), Johnson would have conceivably brought an interesting chess piece in Todd Monken‘s offense. No such role emerged, as Johnson has catch for six yards in four games with Baltimore. This comes after Johnson caught 30 passes for 357 yards with Carolina this season. Not exactly viewing receiver as a need, the Ravens still acquired Johnson due to the cheap price the Panthers ended up setting. Although the Ravens added Johnson in a pick-swap deal that saw Baltimore and Carolina exchange fifth- and sixth-rounders, this has been a troublesome partnership.
The Ravens may also look to tack games onto Johnson’s suspension, with the 49ers’ Campbell move serving as an eerie parallel given how rare an instance of a player refusing to enter a game is. It is safe to say this season has brought tremendous damage to Johnson’s 2025 free agency stock, as he sought exits from the Panthers and Steelers this year. The former third-round find is limping to the finish line on a Steelers-designed two-year, $36.7MM extension.
‘…The shifty wide receiver remains without a role in Baltimore…” Nice job subbing the first ‘T’ with an ‘F’ in shifty!
lol
“Johnson has gone from the Steelers’ most targeted wideout to a player who showed flashes with the Panthers to a non-factor as a Raven.”
Mike Tomlin consistently gets All Pro performances from players who are anything between non-factors and convicts with other teams…AND has never had a losing season in almost 20 NFL seasons.
But, also a lousy coach according to half the team’s fans and most of it’s local blowhards.
He’s not a lousy coach. He’s not Belichick, either. Happy?
Never bought into this team being championship-caliber and that’s besides the a$$-kicking they got in Philly. If you watched, you saw a number of big time gaffes from Tomlin but just blaming him would be ridiculous
Weak o-line, weak running game, few targets for the pass game, unimaginative play calling, a leaky secondary (is there a DB more overrated than Joey Porter?) It all transcends Tomlin. And whether this guy was here or not wouldn’t have made any difference
I’ll call it now. One and done in the playoffs
“He’s not a lousy coach. He’s not Belichick, either. Happy?”
He’s definitely not Belichick…
The only time Mike got caught cheating was when he tried to trip Jacoby Jones. His numbers can’t compete with BB there.
Also, Mike kept winning after losing his HOF QB, unlike BB.
Also, Mike still has an NFL job. BB can say hi when they play Pitt, I guess.
I’m a lifelong Steelers fan, but if all you have on Belichick is that he cheated, it’s beyond childish. I hated the Patriots. Hated Brady. But they owned the Steelers. Maybe it’s time to grow up
The point of my first post was to say most coaches are in the middle. Not great. Not horrible. In the end, it’s the players. From all accounts, Tomlin is a great motivator. And I salute his ability to keep guys like AB and Bell under wraps for as long as he did. Even Johnson
But there’s nothing special about his game management or planning. Doesn’t mean I think he should be fired or hate the guy, it’s just a simple truth.
“I’m a lifelong Steelers fan, but if all you have on Belichick is that he cheated, it’s beyond childish.”
Literally the entire point of sports is to win without cheating.
The whole F’ ing point.
“…if ALL you have…”
Yeah, other than the constantly cheating (and generally being a lousy human) that’s ALL I have.
So your thinking is the only way the Patriots won was thanks to “cheating”. Got it
And constantly. Ok
And as far as the “generally being a lousy human” thing goes, that’s probably true of 90% of owners, coaches and players
Ah, yes…you want to do that super mature adult move of looking at someone who cheated and trying to extrapolate how we’d feel about them if they did NOT cheat and then pretending that they did NOT cheat and treating them the way we’d feel about them if they did NOT cheat.
Except that they did.
So, it’s unclear why you want to judge them as if they did NOT, when they did.
“All you have on Bernie Madoff is…”
A sport is a sport, indeed. But at the professional level, all bets are off. Players, coaches, FO types and even owners break rules all the time chasing success which brings wealth.
“FO types and even owners break rules all the time.”
Why wouldn’t they? They have a long line of willing sycophants waiting to praise their cheating as winning.
Weird how all of the other “FO types and even owners break rules all the time” in shadowy ways that people imagine whereas BB was actually caught red handed in the real world several times, huh?
You’re like the child on the playground who cries “Cheaters” every time he loses. Take your ball and go home already. Your carping gets attention initially but after a while, you sound like a prepubescent, entitled brat
Exactly.
Ethics are for children.
It’s the post-pubescent adults who know that doing the exact opposite of everything we teach children to do is just fine, right?
So in your estimation, accusing the winning side of cheating every time one loses is acceptable. Yes. Sounds oddly familiar.
“who cries “Cheaters” every time he loses.”
“accusing the winning side of cheating every time”
The only one saying “every time” is your straw man.
But, it’s an odd rhetorical game…you are implying that if you only cheat a few times or here or there or if it’s been a while, then your cheating is whitewashed.
No.
Cheating is not the same as winning no matter how many sycophants drop to their knees to absolve you…often, in an attempt to absolve themselves.
And so many will.
Sir, the only rhetoric being employed here is the pretzel logic you are continuing to use with regards to Belichick and the Patriots dynasty
Again and for the record, I loathe both
Your continued harangue would lead even the casual observer to believe that it’s your view that a coach and team were only successful thanks to cheating and that those who protest the screed are somehow defending the misdeeds
Rhetoric, you say?
This is almost as noteworthy of your usual defense of Coach Tomlin that seeks to categorize any and all critique as being attributable to haters who somehow feel entitled and want him fired
Sorry, but your attempts to pigeonhole here are almost humorous
You win. Belichick is a cheater who only won because of illegal tactics that gave him an advantage. I’ll take my leave of both you and your ridiculous resentments.
How many murders does it take to be a murderer?
“Take your ball and go home…” Going back to 2014 season, maybe should read as “Take your league approved inflated ball and go home”. Which is what the Colts did while the Patriots took their illegally deflated ball and went home.
Someday, when scholars and historical geniuses look back on the advent of sports books and betting houses being granted associations with literally all sporting activities, this will all seem funny
Others have been caught red handed and recently. IE. The dolphins owner chatting it up with Brady and Payton comes to mind.
I’d give them one playoff win and then an exit. Tomlin has given you alot of exciting, competitive football games to watch every weekend, even without Big Ben. That’s not easy to do in the NFL. Many of us fans have been dealing with crappy teams for a while. Steelers have been trying to find that next great QB, which 2/3rds of the rest of the league is trying to do. Eagles moved the ball on sustained long drives which many teams haven’t been able to do. Steelers just don’t have the offensive firepower to keep pace. Still a fun team to watch every weekend.
The Eagles are just a superior team and the score wasn’t indicative of what a pounding this was
Agree with your comments. All you can hope for is a competitive team every year and they’ve been that. And yes, they’ve had a difficult time replacing a HoF QB here. But more than anything else, they’ve had a more difficult time replacing top level offensive linemen, too
Maybe one and done in the playoffs. But this I know, if Ravens can’t score at least 3 TDs and make 2 of 3 Xtra points this weekend, Steelers kicker out performs Tucker in game of FGAs. Steelers win.
Schematically they’re awful
Well, it gives him more time to spend with De’Vondre Campbell.
Crazy.
You’re playing for a contract, you’re playing with a great qb, you’ve got an opportunity to contribute to a team with a legit shot to win it…. Makes no sense.
I know he’ll be here forever because that’s just the Ravens way but I’m looking forward to when this team has a new GM.
The Ravens deserve everything they get from him. People are quick to call head case and he may be it there’s no player in football that wouldn’t be pissed at Baltimore for how much they’ve cost him this year.
If a player refuses to go into a game show him the exit out of the building.
Period