Diontae Johnson

WR Diontae Johnson Likely To Be Claimed

December 21st, 2024 at 11:25am CST by Ben Levine

As Diontae Johnson prepares to join his third team of the 2024 campaign, the wide receiver might not have the chance to choose his landing spot. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Johnson is unlikely to pass through waivers.

Johnson can be claimed on Monday. Schefter points to the Chargers and Chiefs as potential landing spots, although both of those squads sit toward the bottom of the waiver order. Schefter notes that Johnson might not even makes it that far, especially since a claim carries little financial risk. Either way, it seems unlikely the embattled receiver will make it all the way to free agency.

After spending five productive seasons in Pittsburgh, Johnson was traded to Carolina this past offseason. The impending free agent maintained his production despite the change in scenery, hauling in 30 catches in seven games. However, with the Panthers struggling to compete, the wideout was firmly on the trade block, and he was eventually dealt to Baltimore for a late-round swap.

Johnson’s issues at his latest stop have been well chronicled. After hauling in a single catch through his first four games with the Ravens, the wideout refused to enter the team’s Week 13 contest. Johnson was subsequently suspended for the Ravens’ Week 15 game, and he was waived a few days after that suspension ended.

Considering the receiver’s upside (including a 1,200-yard campaign in 2021), it’s not a huge surprise that Johnson will command interest on the waiver wire. The Chargers have lost some WR depth throughout the 2024 campaign, but their top three of Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnston, and Joshua Palmer remain intact. In Kansas City, the Chiefs are set to get reinforcement at the position with Marquise Brown returning from injury. While Rashee Rice went down with a season-ending injury, the team has since acquired DeAndre Hopkins to pair with first-round WR Xavier Worthy. In other words, if Johnson is claimed by either of these teams, he may have a tough time carving out a role with only a couple of games remaining on the schedule.

Ravens Waive WR Diontae Johnson

December 20th, 2024 at 11:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Ravens have cut the cord. After suspending Diontae Johnson and then announcing he would not return to the team, Baltimore is done with the trade acquisition.

Johnson is now on the waiver wire. Teams will have until 3pm CT on Monday to claim the former Steelers and Panthers wideout, who has submitted an eventful (mostly for the wrong reasons) 2024.

Johnson arrived in Baltimore by way of Carolina for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 draft. The Panthers also sent a sixth-rounder back to the Ravens and ate most of Johnson’s salary to facilitate the deal. The Ravens hoped that Johnson could contribute to their offense, but he was unhappy with a peripheral role behind Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Mark Andrews. Johnson was active for the Ravens’ first four games after he was traded, but recorded just one catch for six yards on five targets.

Tensions with his new team reached a boiling point in Week 13, when Johnson refused to enter the game against the Eagles after Bateman went down with an injury. The Ravens responded by suspending Johnson for their next game, a Week 15 blowout of the Giants. Unlike the 49ers and De’Vondre Campbell, who joined Johnson in refusing to enter a game recently, this partnership will end via an exit (Campbell received a three-game suspension). Johnson, 28, would stand to draw consideration from WR-needy teams; of course, his value has plummeted considerably over the past several months.

A 1,000-yard receiver with the Steelers, Johnson served as Ben Roethlisberger‘s final No. 1 wide receiver. He regularly showed elite separation ability, commanding more than 140 targets each year from 2020-22. Though, Johnson did display drop and effort issues in Pittsburgh. He famously did not score a touchdown in 2022, but much of that was on the struggling Kenny Pickett‘s shoulders as opposed to the high-end route runner. Johnson had sought a trade out of Pittsburgh, but even after receiving it, he then pushed for a way out of Charlotte. The Panthers obliged, even though the return proved low. Johnson’s path to a fourth 2024 team figures to be cloudier, and his 2025 route has undoubtedly changed because of his recent actions.

Johnson catching one pass in four Ravens games could have been written off as a poor fit, but his refusal to enter Baltimore’s Week 13 contest may be a dealbreaker for many teams. This incident likely did major damage to Johnson’s 2025 free agency value as well. His track record in Pittsburgh and consistent ability to separate would have made the former third-rounder a coveted commodity next year, even if a top-market deal was unrealistic. Now, anything beyond a “prove it” deal might be as well.

The Steelers deviated from their usual trend at receiver, giving Johnson a multiyear extension (two years, $36.7MM). It was the organization’s first notable multiyear WR deal (not counting rookie pacts) since the 2017 Antonio Brown re-up. Otherwise, going back to Hines Ward would be necessary regarding Pittsburgh second contracts for starting wideouts. The organization’s exception for Johnson and his Panthers performance this year (30 catches, 357 yards, three touchdowns) seem like afterthoughts following the Toledo alum’s Ravens tenure.

Johnson being unable to be claimed until Monday would leave him eligible for just two regular-season game checks, creating a minimal sum — as was the case with Odell Beckham Jr.‘s Dolphins deal — for a claiming team to pay. No one claimed Beckham, who remains a free agent. While Johnson being four years younger may add intrigue, it would also not surprise to see him pass through to free agency and teams then reassessing before 2025.

Then again, it only takes one team here. As such, Johnson now waits for a potential third opportunity this season. The Ravens will move forward with their healthy Flowers-Bateman-Agholor trio, with Andrews having come on after a slow start, as they attempt to reach an elusive Super Bowl with Lamar Jackson at the controls.

Nikhil Mehta contributed to this post.

Diontae Johnson Will Not Rejoin Ravens This Week

December 16th, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

Ravens Suspend WR Diontae Johnson

December 4th, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Ravens have suspended veteran wide receiver Diontae Johnson for one game, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

General manager Eric DeCosta issued the following statement on the team’s decision, one that stems from Johnson refusing to enter the team’s Week 13 game against the Eagles.

“We have made the difficult decision to suspend Diontae Johnson for our upcoming game against the New York Giants for conduct detrimental to the team,” DeCosta said. “Diontae’s suspension stems from refusing to enter our game against the Philadelphia Eagles.”

DeCosta added that the Ravens would not have any additional comment on the situation moving forward.

Johnson did not play a single snap in the Ravens’ Week 13 loss to the Eagles despite a knee injury that knocked starter Rashod Bateman out of the game. Head coach John Harbaugh declined to elaborate on Johnson’s absence after the game, though his comments hinted at the sort of internal issue that DeCosta’s statement revealed.

Johnson has been active for all five games since his arrival in Baltimore, but only played 39 snaps on offense with just one catch for six yards on five targets. Bateman’s injury appeared to be an opportunity for the veteran wideout to see more targets from Lamar Jackson, but Johnson refused to enter the game, leading to his suspension. Nelson Agholor and Tylan Wallace filled in for Bateman instead, with Agholor unable to reel in his two targets while Wallace caught both of his for 14 yards.

The suspension continues a tumultuous contract year for Johnson in which he was averaging 51.0 yards per game in Carolina before his trade to the Ravens. Johnson quickly grew frustrated with his minimal role in Baltimore’s offense, though it is unclear why he would turn down the opportunity for more snaps when it arose.

The Ravens’ decision to suspend Johnson signals that the team is considering moving on from the veteran receiver. Baltimore still thinks that Johnson “could help them down the stretch,” according to FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz, especially if Bateman misses time. However, a team with strong playoff chances and Super Bowl aspirations needs “everyone to be fully committed and team-focused,” per Schultz, forcing the Ravens to determine if Johnson is worth keeping around.

Baltimore has some time to weigh their options with a bye week before their Week 15 matchup against the Giants in which Johnson will be ineligible to play. Keeping him on the roster after the bye would indicate that the Ravens have resolved the situation with Johnson.

This is not the first internal issue the Ravens have dealt with this season. Marcus Williams has been reduced to a healthy scratch multiple times after his struggles in coverage, and Eddie Jackson was released after refusing to travel with the team to Pittsburgh in Week 11.

WR Diontae Johnson Facing Uncertain Ravens Future

December 3rd, 2024 at 9:28am CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens were among the teams which made a receiver addition ahead of the trade deadline, acquiring Diontae Johnson from the Panthers. The sixth-year veteran was happy to move on from Carolina after less than one campaign with the team, but it remains to be seen how long he will remain in Baltimore.

Johnson had a number of receivers ahead of him on the WR depth chart upon arrival with the Ravens. Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman have operated as starters, while Nelson Agholor and Tylan Wallace have been more involved than Johnson over the past several games. In five games since joining Baltimore, the former Steelers Pro Bowler has only managed one catch on five targets with no uptick in usage in sight.

“At this time, I’m going to have to wait just to clarify it,” head coach John Harbaugh said when asked about Johnson’s future (via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley). “There’s some moving parts there that we’re going to have to figure out and explore and just see where we’re at. I know that’s not the answer you want, but that’s the best I can do in fairness to everybody right now.”

Johnson dressed for the Ravens’ Week 13 loss to the Eagles, but even with Bateman suffering a knee injury he did not log a snap during the game. The 28-year-old represented a low-cost rental since he is a pending free agent and the Panthers retained most of his remaining 2024 salary to pull off the deal. Expectations were therefore low from the beginning, but Johnson’s lack of usage coupled with Harbaugh’s remarks have led to questions about his Baltimore tenure ending even before the regular season concludes.

Bateman’s knee injury is not believed to be serious, and with the Ravens on their bye in Week 14 he may be recovered in time for the team’s next game. Provided he and Flowers remain healthy, Johnson will be set to continue as a complementary option on an offense which also relies on tight end Mark Andrews in the passing game and Derrick Henry on the ground. As Baltimore considers roster moves over the coming days, it will be interesting to see if more clarity emerges in Johnson’s case.

Ravens Do Not Anticipate Major Role For Diontae Johnson

November 24th, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

The Ravens were happy when they landed Diontae Johnson at the trade deadline, but the veteran wide receiver is not expected to step into a major role in Baltimore’s offense this season.

Johnson’s acquisition was more about value, versatility, and depth. The Ravens only had to give up a fifth-round pick for Johnson and a sixth-round pick from the Panthers, with Carolina eating most of the wideout’s remaining salary. Based on current draft pick projections, Baltimore essentially moved back about 20 spots in the 2025 draft to add Johnson to their roster, a pittance for a receiver with a career average of 54.3 yards per game.

The Ravens believed that Johnson was “too good a player to pass up” for such a low price, though they did not make the trade expecting Johnson to immediately slide into a starting role, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano. Instead, he provides veteran depth as insurance for injuries to Zay Flowers or Rashod Bateman while giving the Ravens “a chance to use more three-receiver sets than they usually do, should they want to go that route.”

Flowers and Bateman have been firmly entrenched as Baltimore’s starting wideouts this year with a healthy dose of heavy personnel looks on offense with fullback Patrick Ricard and tight ends Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, and Charlie Kolar. Johnson’s main path to more playing time is obvious passing downs that require three receivers, though the Ravens rely on their league-leading rushing attack with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry to keep them out of such situations.

Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken hinted at the difficulty of working Johnson into the offense.

“It’s not easy for him,” said Monken. “We’re going to continue to try to find ways to get him on the field, but we haven’t really lost anybody, we’re doing pretty good with the guys we’ve got.”

Monken has a point: Baltimore leads the NFL with 4,731 yards and 7.0 yards per play this season, with significant gaps between them and the second-ranked teams. Johnson still has the talent to contribute, but the Ravens won’t go away from what’s worked this season.

Diontae Johnson Sought Exit From Panthers

November 10th, 2024 at 8:48pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Panthers general manager Dan Morgan revealed that Diontae Johnson “wanted a change of scenery” before he was dealt to the Ravens at the end of October, per Joe Person of The Athletic.

Morgan also indicated that the desire to part ways was mutual in a recent press conference.

“We felt at the end of the day that it was best for the team and best for Diontae that we both part ways and get the compensation there that we got,” said Morgan, according to team reporter Kassidy Hill.

The Panthers received a 2025 fifth-round pick in exchange for Johnson and a 2025 sixth-rounder while eating a significant portion of the wideout’s contract. The Ravens will only owe Johnson the veteran minimum salary for the remainder of the season.

This is the second time in eight months that Johnson has sought a trade away from his current team. He first arrived in Carolina in March after requesting a trade from the Steelers, who sent him to the Panthers along with a seventh-round pick for cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth-rounder.

Overall, the Panthers’ two trades involving Johnson turned Jackson and two sixth-round picks into fifth- and seventh-rounders plus seven games, 357 receiving yards, and three touchdowns from the 28-year-old. Jackson, meanwhile, is tied for sixth in the NFL with three interceptions, one shy of his career-high.

Diontae Johnson Addresses Ravens Trade; WR Unlikely To Serve As Starter?

October 31st, 2024 at 9:56pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Ravens are among the teams which have made an addition at the receiver spot. Baltimore added Diontae Johnson from the Panthers by agreeing to a Day 3 pick swap in which Carolina retained much of his remaining salary.

Given the low acquisition cost on the part of the Ravens, expectations will be tempered for Johnson upon arrival. The 28-year-old was long considered one of the top options at the receiver position available via trade, with a mid-round pick once being the asking price. Carolina’s willingness to take only a minor upgrade in draft capital while absorbing most of Johnson’s outstanding compensation speaks to the mutual desire of both parties to move on.

“Once I found out where I was going, I was excited,” the Toledo product confirmed when asked about his acquisition by the Ravens (via Clifton Brown of the team’s website). “Sigh of relief. I’m ready to work.”

With three seasons of at least 882 receiving yards on his resume, Johnson brings not only experience to the Ravens’ receiving corps but also a notable pedigree compared to the the team’s other options at the position. Baltimore has recent first-rounders Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman on their way to career highs in production, but adding another target – especially in the event either member of that pairing were to miss signficant time – represents a reasonable move. It remains to be seen how involved Johnson will be once he acclimates Baltimore’s offense.

On that point, veteran insider Josina Anderson reports the Johnson acquisition is not expected to result in a reduction in Flowers’ or Bateman’s workloads. Baltimore rarely uses three-receiver sets, and with all three of the team’s tight ends (Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar) along with fullback Patrick Ricard healthy that should remain the case moving forward. Johnson – whose most productive campaign came in 2021 with 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns – will slot in ahead of Nelson Agholor for the WR3 gig in that scenario.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh added the team is considering using Johnson as a punt returner. Deonte Harty is currently on IR due to a knee injury, creating a need on special teams. Johnson has not handed return duties since the first two years of his career (having also done so in college), and that may be his best path to signficant usage with his newest team. As a pending free agent, his production in any and all capacities will be key in determining his market value.

Trade Rumors: Smith, Broncos, Johnson

October 30th, 2024 at 10:30pm CST by Sam Robinson

Za’Darius Smith continues to come up in trade rumors, despite the Browns snapping their losing skid in Week 8. While Cleveland is not prepared to deal Myles Garrett due to the reigning Defensive Player of the Year remaining a cornerstone presence, Smith looms as a player likely to be dealt as the team regroups midway through Deshaun Watson‘s catastrophic contract. The Browns are still hearing from teams, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano, with the former indicating a reasonable Day 3 pick would likely complete a trade. The Lions figure to be a team in on Smith, who addressed a potential Detroit deal recently, while the Ravens — who nearly re-signed Smith in 2022 — are believed to be eyeing defensive help.

In 2023, Smith moved from Minneapolis to Cleveland in a pick-swap trade that featured two fifth-rounders going to the Vikings along with sixth- and seventh-rounders being sent to the Browns. The veteran pass rusher is now 32 and tied to a two-year, $23MM deal that features both a veteran-minimum 2024 base salary — thanks to the Browns’ penchant for void years lowering cap hits — and a $2MM roster bonus due in 2025. The Browns would take on a hefty dead money bill if/when they move Smith, with $14MM-plus set to hit their 2025 books as a result of a deal. That would be an interesting development for a team that has Watson tied to a $72.9MM 2025 cap number.

Here is the latest from the trade market:

While the Browns will not need to cover any of Smith’s salary to move him, the Bears certainly will if they want to trade benched guard Nate Davis. Chicago is interested in dealing Davis, who has disappointed on his three-year, $30MM contract. Davis is due just more than $5MM in remaining 2024 salary, and Fowler notes the Bears are prepared to pay some of that tab to extract an asset from an O-line-needy team. Davis, 28, may see his path back to the Bears’ lineup further impeded by Ryan Bates‘ re-emergence; the 2024 trade pickup is in the IR-return window. Davis has not played since Week 5, and the four-year Titans starter has not started since Week 2.
John Lynch confirmed during a KNBR appearance (h/t Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News) the 49ers were not in on Diontae Johnson. The eighth-year GM has said the 49ers are confident in their receiving group even with Brandon Aiyuk out for the season. San Francisco defeated Dallas without Jauan Jennings but expects to have the WR3 back after their Week 9 bye. As for the Panthers‘ effort to move Johnson, 1340 AM’s Sheena Quick notes two teams were negotiating with the NFC South team prior to the Ravens‘ entrance into the derby. Baltimore came in last, per Quick, but is believed to have made the best offer. The Ravens checked in with a pick-swap proposal involving fifth- and sixth-rounders, and the Panthers are also paying part of Johnson’s salary in what became a wildly underwhelming return for Carolina. The Panthers had initially targeted a mid-round pick for the contract-year wideout.
Teams are wondering if the Broncos will still consider selling despite their best eight-game start (5-3) since 2016. In addition to Zach Wilson, previously believed to be available, Fowler adds teams view outside linebacker Baron Browning and cornerback Damarri Mathis as potentially available pieces. A starter to open the season, Browning just returned from IR. Teams looking at the contract-year edge defender points to a potential belief the Broncos will view fellow 2021 draftee Jonathon Cooper as the more likely extension candidate. Browning has played as a backup to Nik Bonitto upon returning, though a trade would strip an option away from a strong Denver defense. A starter to open last season, Mathis has been buried on Denver’s depth chart — one including Riley Moss as Patrick Surtain‘s boundary CB complement — since being activated from IR. Mathis generated summer trade buzz as well.

Ravens Acquire WR Diontae Johnson From Panthers

October 29th, 2024 at 11:07pm CST by Adam La Rose

Diontae Johnson is indeed on the move. The veteran wideout is being dealt from the Panthers to the Ravens, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.

Schefter adds the teams will swap fifth-and sixth-round picks as part of the deal, one which will allow Johnson to return to the AFC North. Both selections are in this year’s draft, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network clarifies. As for the financial side of the deal, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports Carolina is retaining a portion of Johnson’s remaining salary.

As a result, the Ravens will only owe him roughly $625K for the rest of the season. Johnson is the latest rental receiver to be dealt, and it comes as little surprise he will be changing teams for the second time in 2024. The 28-year-old has been widely expected to be dealt, with multiple suitors believed to be in play (although the particulars of the deal point to a rather tepid market existing). As Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports notes, Johnson became “discouraged” by his situation; he will now depart a 1-7 franchise for one with a 5-3 record and aspirations of another playoff run.

Underscoring the compensation situation further, CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones adds teams were initially discussing a Day 2 pick in a potential Johnson trade (video link). That price fell considerably, with suitors becoming increasingly aware a parting of ways with Carolina — stemming from what Jones terms as “communication issues” — would be imminent. The Panthers have moved quickly in taking an underwhelming offer.

Receiver has been floated as potential target in Baltimore’s case in 2024 (and many other years, of course), but recent first-rounders Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman have had a productive start to the season. Contributions from tight ends Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar have led to Baltimore boasting the league’s No. 1 passing attack. Free agent signing Derrick Henry has been as advertised in the backfield, forming a strong tandem with Lamar Jackson in terms of production on the ground (200 yards per game, which leads the league).

For that reason, it comes as something of a surprise Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta targeted offense in terms of a midseason acquisition. Scoring has generally not been an issue for the Ravens, but their defense has been a sore spot on more than one occasion. The team sits 26th in points allowed per game (26.1), owing in large part to the NFL’s worst pass defense. Bringing in help along the edge or in the secondary thus represented a logical course of action, but unless something further is done Baltimore’s incumbent options will be counted on to improve.

In place as GM since 2019, DeCosta has not been shy on the trade front during his tenure. He previously added Marcus Peters, Yannick Ngakoue and Roquan Smith via trade during the middle of the 2019, ’20 and ’22 seasons. Johnson becomes the latest name on that list, and he will aim to provide a notable contribution on offense while boosting his free agent stock in the process.

The former third-rounder had a productive five-year run in Pittsburgh, and he inked a two-year extension in 2022. In the lead-in to the final year of that pact, though, he asked to be dealt and the Steelers accommodated him. Carolina also took part in a pick swap in that deal, sending cornerback Donte Jackson back as well. The team’s investment has not proven to be particularly worthwhile given their struggles on offense and the decision to part ways after only eight weeks.

Johnson recorded at least 78 yards three times during his Carolina tenure, with his best showings coming during the time when Andy Dalton was in at quarterback. Bryce Young‘s development – on the field or otherwise – remains a key goal for Carolina during the second half of the campaign. That process could come about after other veterans are shipped out, but in any case Johnson’s performance on his new team will be a key storyline to follow.

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