The fourth time – or team – is not the charm for Diontae Johnson. The Houston Texans waived Johnson today, ending a short stint with the fourth NFL team he’s played for in the last year.
It’s not clear why Johnson was so quickly removed from the roster. Houston claimed him Dec. 23 after he was waived by the Baltimore Ravens following a one-game, team-imposed suspension for refusing to enter a game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Texans were one of two teams to submit a waiver claim, the Los Angeles Chargers the other, and Johnson’s addition was expected to mitigate the loss of WR Tank Dell following his season-ending knee injury. His new teammates praised Johnson for his work ethic and believed he’d fit into the offense well.
Johnson appeared in the team’s regular-season finale, catching two passes for 12 yards across 22 snaps in a win over the Tennessee Titans. He participated in Saturday’s Wild Card win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Playing 16 snaps, he caught one pass for 12 yards while being out-snapped by John Metchie and Robert Woods along with No. 1 wideout Nico Collins. Per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, Johnson was “visibly upset” after the playoff win and had to be calmed down by teammates.
It’s been a year to forget for Diontae Johnson, who turns 29 in July. He began it in Pittsburgh but was traded to the Carolina Panthers in March. Struggling to connect with QB Bryce Young, Johnson spent just half the season with the Panthers, who flipped him near the trade deadline to the Ravens for a pittance of trade compensation. Seemingly unhappy with his reserve role, Johnson caught just one pass for 6 yards while with Baltimore and reportedly refused to enter a Week 13 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. That led the team to suspend him for its Week 15 game against the New York Giants, keep him home from practice, and waive him a short time later.
Now, Johnson is again a free agent, and it seems doubtful he’ll latch on with one of the remaining playoff teams. He’ll look to catch on during the offseason but already running through 12.5 percent of the league in one calendar year, Johnson could be running out of suitors. Perhaps the Chargers would have offseason interest considering that Jim Harbaugh evidently wasn’t concerned enough about his brother waiving Johnson, still submitting a waiver claim but losing out to the Texans in the league’s order.
Houston will travel to Kansas City and face the Chiefs in the Divisional Round this weekend.
