Diontae Johnson Fantasy Stats

Free-agent wide receiver Diontae Johnson is working out with the New York Giants on Tuesday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Johnson was with the Cleveland Browns during training camp and the preseason, but he was cut before the start of the regular season and hasn't joined a team since. The 29-year-old former third-rounder by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019 out of Toledo spent time with the Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans last year, catching a combined 33 passes on 67 targets for 375 yards and three touchdowns. The vast majority of his production came in Carolina, as he caught just three passes for 18 yards in five games with Baltimore and Houston to close out the year. It's been a notable fall for Johnson over the last year-plus, and if he were to sign with the G-Men, he'd merely be battling for a chance to join the active 53-man roster as receiver depth.

The Cleveland Browns have released veteran wide receiver Diontae Johnson, making him one of Tuesday's notable roster cuts. Johnson, a 2021 Pro Bowler with the Steelers, was battling for a reserve role behind Cedric Tillman and Jerry Jeudy but fell short. The six-year veteran has bounced around recently, spending time with the Panthers, Ravens, and Titans last season, struggling to regain his early-career form. Still, Johnson's polished route running and proven production give him a chance to latch on elsewhere. As teams finalize their rosters before Week 1, the 29-year-old could emerge as a depth option for a contender.

The Athletic's Zac Jackson lists wide receiver Diontae Johnson on the "wrong side of the bubble" to make the Cleveland Browns' 53-man roster heading into the regular season. Jackson goes on to explain that Johnson "has been outplayed in camp." The addition of undrafted rookie wideout Isaiah Bond doesn't help Johnson's chances of making the roster, either. The 29-year-old Johnson had a 1,000-yard season in 2021 with the Pittsburgh Steelers but has regressed each year since. In 2024, the former third-rounder played for the Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans and combined for just 33 catches, 375 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games (eight starts). Getting cut from a Browns roster with shaky depth at the receiver position would pretty much be rock bottom for Johnson.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Diontae Johnson caught one of his three targets for a seven-yard gain in a 22-13 preseason win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday. Johnson got the start for the Browns and was able to haul in a seven-yard pass on the team's first drive of the game, helping lead to a four-yard Ahmani Marshall touchdown run. The veteran wideout fared better than he did in the team's preseason opener last week, where he was unable to corral either of his two targets. Johnson and Jamari Thrash appear to be locked into a battle for the team's WR3 job behind Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman. He will look to separate himself from Thrash next week in Cleveland's preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Diontae Johnson has "mostly played with the second and third offensive units" in training camp practices, according to Zak Jackson of The Athletic. Jackson writes that Johnson may be competing with second-year wideout Jamari Thrash for the primary slot receiver role, or "even for a roster spot." In 12 games last season split between the Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans, Johnson recorded 33 catches for 375 yards and three touchdowns. The 29-year-old has significantly more NFL production under his belt than Thrash, who had just three catches in nine games for Cleveland as a rookie in 2024. Johnson had been a useful fantasy player for most of his career up until 2024, but it appears he has some work to do just to make the Browns roster heading into 2025.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Diontae Johnson believes veteran quarterback Kenny Pickett will be the team's starting quarterback following the competition against Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Pickett spent last season with the Philadelphia Eagles, winning his first Super Bowl ring as Jalen Hurts' backup. The 2022 first-round pick out of Pitt struggled to make a positive impact with the Pittsburgh Steelers, throwing for 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in 25 career games. He looked competent in limited action with the Eagles, throwing for 291 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. However, that was behind the league's best offensive line and with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Saquon Barkley to throw the ball to. If Pickett wins the starting job in Cleveland, he likely won't offer much fantasy upside and can be ignored in single-QB formats to start the new campaign. If he struggles early, the team could opt to move to Joe Flacco or one of the first-year signal callers.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Diontae Johnson is focused on changing the perception surrounding him this season after a tumultuous 2024, he told ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi on Wednesday. Johnson was all over the place last season, leading the Carolina Panthers in receiving through the first seven games before a mid-year trade to Baltimore -- and eventual release after he refused to play in Week 13. The Texans claimed him, and he caught two passes for them in Week 18, but was waived after their wild-card win over the Chargers due to his "visible frustration" after playing just 15 snaps. The 28-year-old will get a chance to prove himself in Cleveland, as the target competition behind fellow WR Jerry Jeudy and tight end David Njoku isn't too daunting. Still, the offense's success will largely depend on who is calling signals for the Browns in 2025, and even that might not be a guarantee on a weekly basis.

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Diontae Johnson is in attendance at mandatory minicamp this week after not showing up for voluntary organized team activities. Although there is opportunity in Cleveland this year behind WR1 Jerry Jeudy, fantasy managers won't be holding their breath for the 28-year-old wideout after he played for three teams in 2024. He caught 30 of 58 targets for 357 yards and three touchdowns with the Panthers before being traded to the Ravens, where he caught just one pass in four games. Johnson finished the year in Houston and caught two passes for 12 yards. The former third-rounder (66th overall) by the Steelers in 2019 out of Toledo has regressed each season since his 1,000-yard campaign in 2021 in Pittsburgh. With one of the worst QB situations in the league on top of it, Johnson is barely ranked inside the top-100 wideouts at RotoBaller.

Wide receiver Diontae Johnson's one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns is for the veteran's minimum of $1.17 million and doesn't include any guaranteed money, according to ESPN's Field Yates. It's essentially a zero-risk deal for the Browns, while Johnson will be hoping to re-establish his value at just 28 years old. The former third-round pick (66th overall) of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019 out of Toledo was traded to the Carolina Panthers last offseason. He caught 30 of 58 targets for 357 yards and three touchdowns in seven starts before then being traded to the Baltimore Ravens. Johnson was not a good fit there and only caught one of five targets for six yards before being cut. He then latched on with the Houston Texans and caught two of four targets for 12 yards in one game. Johnson has an opportunity in Cleveland alongside Jerry Jeudy, but his volatility and the Browns' QB situation makes him unattractive in most fantasy leagues.

After visiting with former Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans and Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson on Monday, the Cleveland Browns reached an agreement with him on an undisclosed one-year deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Johnson had a disappointing and interesting 2024 season in the NFL, to say the least. He played the first seven games of the season with the Panthers after being acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 28-year-old was then traded from the Panthers to the Ravens, where he caught just one pass for six yards in four games. He was eventually cut and latched on with the Texans for one game. Almost all of Johnson's production last year came in Carolina, and he finished with career-lows in catches (33) and receiving yards (375). In Cleveland, he will compete to be the No. 3 wideout behind Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman. Expectations will be low.