Diontae Johnson‘s latest NFL gig has proven to be short-lived. The Texans waived the veteran wideout today, per a team announcement. In another roster move, tight end Cade Stover has been placed on injured reserve.
This continues an astoundingly eventful year for Johnson, who entered the 2024 offseason as one of the NFL’s top route runners and as a player who could have commanded considerable value in free agency — once he reached that point. A year later, a receiver who had been attached to a two-year, $36.7MM contract has torpedoed his value by wearing out his welcome everywhere he has gone. And he has now traveled to many NFL cities.
A fourth team has now given up on him in a 10-month span. Traded from the Steelers and Panthers, Johnson has now seen the Ravens and Texans waive him. Two teams — the Texans and Chargers — claimed Johnson once Baltimore moved on last month. Johnson, 28, now appears headed to free agency. It is difficult to overstate the damage the sixth-year wideout has done to his NFL stock.
Following the Texans’ wild-card rout over the Chargers, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports Johnson was visibly upset and needed to be calmed down by teammates. Issues with his usage, the theme of his Baltimore tenure, resurfaced in Houston.
Johnson played 16 offensive snaps for the Texans, who used the former Steelers target commander on 22 plays against the Titans. Johnson caught one pass for 12 yards against the Bolts; he snared two passes for 12 yards against the Titans in Week 18. This usage reminded of the role the Ravens gave the depressed asset, and Johnson has voiced considerable displeasure about this participation downturn.
It should be expected Johnson will generate internal discussions from teams who need receiver help for 2025, but anything beyond a one-year “prove it” deal seems unrealistic at this point. Johnson’s regular production with the Steelers aside, it will be difficult for teams to divorce that from his tumultuous 2024 season. Johnson still resembled his Pittsburgh version in Carolina, averaging 51 yards per game (30 catches, 357 yards); that is in line with some of his lower-octane Steelers seasons. But he has either wanted to leave teams (Steelers, Panthers) or seen them move on from him (Ravens, Texans). That will be a tough sell for personnel departments moving forward.
Johnson had wanted the Texans to trade for him at the deadline, but the Ravens did so instead. The former Steelers third-round find griped about his playing time in Baltimore and eventually refused to enter a Ravens-Eagles game, leading to a suspension. After that one-game ban, the Ravens did not activate him for their Week 16 game against the Giants. Days later, Baltimore waived the sunk cost. While Johnson was connected to the Chargers and Chiefs, the Texans swooped in with a claim. DeMeco Ryans had praised Johnson as recently as last week. Ditto Joe Mixon, via Wilson. None of it ultimately mattered, and the former 1,100-yard Ben Roethlisberger target will seek a fifth NFL home soon.
The Texans have not seen C.J. Stroud take a step forward after his breakthrough rookie season, but in the 2023 No. 2 overall pick’s defense, he lost his No. 2 and No. 3 receivers — Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell — for the season. Dell’s injury, a severe knee setback that required ambulance transportation from Arrowhead Stadium in Week 16, prompted the Johnson claim. The Texans, however, used Robert Woods, John Metchie and Xavier Hutchinson in front of Johnson in the wild-card round. That trio will again complement Nico Collins as the Texans aim to derail the Chiefs’ threepeat bid Saturday.
Adam La Rose contributed to this post.
Reeder started the Rams’ first six games of the season before a hamstring injury forced him on injured reserve. Christian Rozeboom and Omar Speights stepped up and stayed healthy in his place, but neither has been a high-impact defender. Los Angeles has relied more on a young, explosive pass rush to make up for their deficiencies in coverage.
