Ravens Claim Diontae Johnson Off Waivers From Texans
The Baltimore Ravens claimed wide receiver Diontae Johnson off waivers from the Houston Texans on Wednesday. However, per NFL rules, Johnson won't be awarded to the Ravens until after the Super Bowl, so he won't be eligible to play in the rest of the postseason. Johnson has had quite the wild ride this year, starting the year with the Carolina Panthers before being dealt to Baltimore at the trade deadline. After being suspended for conduct detrimental to the team and catching only one of five targets for six yards in four games with the Ravens, he was released and picked up by the Texans. He caught three of five targets for 24 yards in his two games with Houston before being waived, and now he's back in Baltimore. The 28-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent in March, so there's a good chance he won't open the 2025 season with the Ravens.
The Houston Texans are releasing veteran wide receiver Diontae Johnson on Tuesday, according to the team's X account. Johnson has been traded twice and released twice in the last calendar year, so this is clearly not a good sign for his future fantasy football outlook. After logging 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns in seven games with Carolina this season, he accumulated just three receptions on nine targets for 18 yards in five games combined with the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans. Johnson posted three seasons of at least 882 receiving yards earlier in his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but those days seem long gone after four WR-needy franchises have let him go. All that said, he could join one of the remaining playoff contenders ahead of Super Bowl 59.
In his debut with the Houston Texans in the Week 18 win over the division-rival Tennessee Titans in the regular-season finale, wide receiver Diontae Johnson caught two passes on four targets for 12 yards and also returned a punt for zero yards. He played 37 percent of the offensive snaps, but the Texans plan on using him more for the upcoming wild-card playoff game on Saturday against the Los Angeles Chargers. Despite being on his third team this season, Johnson is fitting in well with Houston so far. "We were able to get him a little involved in the game as well. I thought he handled himself really well. We will start to continue to feed him more to see how he can help us," head coach DeMeco Ryans said. The Texans could really use someone to step up behind Nico Collins with both Stefon Diggs (knee) and Tank Dell (knee) out for the year. It could be Johnson, but he'll still be a risky boom/bust flex play in fantasy this weekend.
Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said on Wednesday that wide receiver Diontae Johnson will make his team debut in the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Tennessee Titans on Sunday. "He's picking it up pretty fast. We'll try to put him in situations to utilize his strengths," Ryans said. After a disastrous short tenure with the Baltimore Ravens in which he caught one of his five targets for six yards in four games and was also suspended for conduct detrimental to the team after being frustrated with his lack of a role, Johnson will attempt to carve out a role in Houston alongside Nico Collins with both Tank Dell (knee) and Stefon Diggs (knee) out for the year. The 28-year-old caught 30 passes for 357 yards and three TDs in seven games with the Panthers before being traded to Baltimore. He'll be a true wild card during the postseason, and it remains to be seen how much he'll be involved this Sunday in a meaningless game.
New Houston Texans wide receiver Diontae Johnson practiced with the team for the first time on Monday since being claimed off waivers last week from the Baltimore Ravens. Johnson was acquired by the Ravens from the Carolina Panthers at the trade deadline, but things didn't exactly work out in Baltimore. Johnson was unhappy with his role -- he caught just one of five targets for six yards in four games played -- and was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team right before the Ravens cut him. He's happy to turn the page and join a Texans team that was looking for depth after a devastating knee injury to receiver Tank Dell. Johnson has 31 catches for 363 yards and three touchdowns in 2024 with the Panthers and Ravens. His time in Houston to close out the year will be an audition of sorts, but his path to fantasy relevance in playoff leagues will be an uphill battle.
Texans Claim Diontae Johnson Off Waivers From Ravens
The Houston Texans claimed wide receiver Diontae Johnson off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens on Monday, according to sources. The move comes after the news that Texans wideout Tank Dell (knee) will miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL and dislocating his knee in Saturday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Johnson, whose short tenure with Baltimore didn't go well at all, will now face his former team this Wednesday on Christmas Day with the Texans. While Johnson is an intriguing weapon being added to Houston's offense with both Dell and Stefon Diggs (knee) out for the year, it would be foolish to expect the 28-year-old pass-catcher to be able to come in immediately and make a fantasy-relevant impact on a short week with his new team. However, Johnson could be a nice DFS play in postseason contests if he gets up to speed quickly and sees a big enough role.
The Baltimore Ravens waived wide receiver Diontae Johnson on Friday. Johnson will now go on waivers and can be claimed by another organization on Monday. If he is not claimed, Johnson will hit the open market and be free to sign with any team he wants. The 28-year-old was acquired at the trade deadline this year from the Carolina Panthers, but he wasn't exactly a great fit in Baltimore's offense. Everything came to a head when Johnson, unhappy with his role, refused to enter the Week 13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He was subsequently suspended for the Week 15 win over the New York Giants and is now no longer with the team. He ended up catching just one pass on five targets for six yards in four games with the Ravens, but he had a 30-357-3 line in seven games with Carolina and should latch on quickly with another organization, potentially a contender looking for more receiver depth.
The Baltimore Ravens announced on Monday that recently suspended wide receiver Diontae Johnson and the team have mutually agreed to excuse him from team activities this week. Johnson was suspended for the Week 15 win over the New York Giants due to conduct detrimental to the team when he refused to enter the Week 13 contest against the Philadelphia Eagles. The 28-year-old has been unhappy with his role in Baltimore since being acquired at the deadline from the Carolina Panthers and now is unlikely to play in Week 16 when the team takes on the division-rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday. In four games active with Baltimore, he has just one catch on five targets for six yards. Johnson should have been dropped from fantasy rosters long ago, and it remains to be seen if he'll even see the field again in 2024.
Diontae Johnson Expected To Return To Team On Monday
Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who is suspended for the Week 15 game against the New York Giants due to conduct detrimental to the team, is expected to return to the team's facilities on Monday. Johnson refused to go into the game in the Week 13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles because of his unhappiness with his role in the offense, but the hope is that he'll find his way back into the good graces of the team down the stretch and into the postseason. The 28-year-old was acquired from the Carolina Panthers at the trade deadline in late October, but the Ravens just haven't found a way to implement him into their offense since, as he has just one catch on five targets for six yards in his four games played. Johnson is expected to remain with the team, but for fantasy purposes, he belongs on the waiver wire for the rest of the year.
The Baltimore Ravens are suspending wide receiver Diontae Johnson for one game without pay for conduct detrimental to the team, according to sources. It means that Johnson will not be available to play when the team returns from their bye to take on the New York Giants in Week 15. Johnson was acquired by the Ravens from the Carolina Panthers on the cheap at the trade deadline, but the 28-year-old has been non-existent on offense in Baltimore and likely voiced his frustration with his lack of a role. In five games with the Ravens, Johnson has one reception on five targets for six yards. He didn't play a single snap on offense in the Week 13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and is now in the dog house. Fantasy managers should have sent Johnson to the waiver wire a bit ago, but this suspension is essentially rock bottom for his value in 2024.