Not long ago, Diontae Johnson was an All-Pro member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and widely regarded as one of the NFL‘s top route runners.
Fast forward to 2025, and Johnson has been cut twice in the last month. His fall from grace was by no means pretty, as he has appeared on three different teams since late October. However, one of those teams that released him, the Baltimore Ravens, claimed him back on Wednesday. Let’s examine the latest on Johnson and his journey this season.
What Happened to Diontae Johnson?
Johnson began the year in familiar territory. He finished out the 2023 NFL season in Pittsburgh, recording 51 receptions for 717 receiving yards and five touchdowns.
In March 2024, he changed teams for the first time in his career, as the Steelers dealt the one-time Pro Bowler and a seventh-round pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for cornerback Donte Jackson and a sixth-round selection.
He appeared in seven games with the Panthers, tallying 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns.
This stint in Carolina ended up being relatively long compared to his next two stops. The drama began to pick up once Johnson was packaged with a sixth-round pick and traded to the Baltimore Ravens for a fifth-round pick.
The expectation was that Johnson would provide quarterback Lamar Jackson with a reliable veteran weapon to pair alongside Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, and Mark Andrews.
This couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Johnson had a disappointing four-game stint in Baltimore, recording just a single reception for six yards. Johnson’s time with the Ravens came to an end when he was suspended for one game due to “conduct detrimental to the team” after refusing to enter a game since he was upset about his role. Shortly after, Baltimore released him.
The Texans decided to give Johnson a chance — his fourth team in nine months. However, after just several weeks, Houston decided to give up on Johnson, too. He was released on Tuesday after recording just three receptions for 24 yards across two games (including the postseason).
According to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson, the same behavior that led to his release in Baltimore continued in Houston, with Johnson getting “highly upset” about his limited role.
When Diontae Johnson, now cut by #Texans, was with #Ravens he was suspended for conduct detrimental for refusing to play. After games, if he wasn't involved to his liking, he was highly upset and had to be calmed down. Pattern continued in Houston and now he's off his third #NFL… https://t.co/wF3WnRfBvg
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 14, 2025
The Texans front office’s decision to sign Johnson made sense, as Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs are out for the postseason with injuries. However, even on a team in major need of receiving help, Johnson wasn’t able to carve out a significant role and was once again cut for his behind-the-scenes antics.
Perhaps what’s most surprising about this move is that Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans just raved about Johnson one week ago and discussed how he could help Houston in the playoffs.
“Diontae has done a really nice job since he’s been here,” Ryans said after Week 18. “He’s catching up to speed really well. He had a really good week of practice and made a nice play today for us. Tried to get it to him a few other times but it didn’t work out. I’m encouraged.
“With Diontae, adding him to our team, he’s a guy who has talent. He’s done it at a high level. He’s bounced around a little bit here. It really doesn’t matter what’s happened in the past or what the narrative is about. You come here and everything is a fresh start. So we’ll see how he can help us, what he can add to our team on the field and off the field.”
Clearly, Ryans’ view of Johnson changed rather quickly, and the Texans’ decision-makers decided he was hurting the squad more than helping as they advance to the Divisional Round.
Then, in a move that shocked the NFL world, the Ravens claimed Johnson off of waivers after Houston released him. Johnson has now come full circle and joined the team that initially waived him. It’s unclear why the Ravens claimed Johnson, but the prevailing theory is that they made this move to block the veteran wide receiver from joining a fellow contender like the Buffalo Bills or Kansas City Chiefs. If Johnson were to land with one of those teams, he could provide valuable information that hurts Baltimore this postseason.
It remains to be seen how (of if) Johnson will be used with the Ravens, but this is certainly an interesting situation that’s worth monitoring. It’s possible he has no role at all. However, it’s worth noting that Jackson seemed to be a fan of Johnson all along, praising him in interviews and saying he wanted him on the field. Perhaps now he’ll get more of an opportunity to throw to him.
Throughout the course of Johnson’s six-year NFL career, he has recorded 424 catches for 4,738 yards and 28 touchdowns.
