Diontae Johnson, we hardly missed you. The Baltimore Ravens have claimed back Diontae Johnson one day after the Houston Texans waived him. It’s Johnson’s second stint with the team after being traded to Baltimore by the Carolina Panthers midseason.
Because it’s the postseason, Johnson will not be officially awarded to the Ravens until the day after the Super Bowl meaning Johnson can’t play for Baltimore the rest of the way. It appears the reason for the move is to create the possibility of the Ravens receiving compensatory picks for Johnson should he qualify in free agency.
It’s a chess-not-checkers move from a Baltimore team that traded for, suspended, and then waived Johnson just weeks ago.
Technically, this will make Baltimore Johnson’s fifth stop of 2024. He began it with the Pittsburgh Steelers before being dealt to the Carolina Panthers in March. Unhappy and unable to find chemistry with QB Bryce Young, the Panthers shipped Johnson to the Ravens for minimal draft compensation. Johnson appeared in four games for Baltimore, catching just one pass before being suspended after refusing to enter a Week 13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. That led to the team suspending Johnson for one game and then releasing him ahead of Week 17.
The Texans claimed Johnson off waivers, and he appeared in two games for Houston, catching three total passes for 24 yards in limited snaps. But he was reportedly unhappy with his reserve role and had to be calmed down by Texans teammates following the team’s Wild Card win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Houston waived him Tuesday.
It’s a low-risk move by the Ravens though it still feels unlikely they’ll actually get compensation for Johnson in 2026. A team would have to sign Johnson to a decently sized contract and Baltimore’s free agency moves would have to avoid cancelling him out. Still, the Ravens benefit from the compensation game if they get any pick and if Johnson provides nothing in return, they will have lost very little.
