Diontae Johnson was claimed by the Baltimore Ravens days after being waived by the Houston Texans, but the team has no intention of issuing Johnson another uniform.
The roster move is not official until after the Super Bowl, meaning Johnson is not joining the Baltimore roster for the playoffs or a potential replacement for injured wide receiver Zay Flowers.
Johnson’s contract expires at the end of the league year and, given his tumultuous time with the Ravens, he’s not in the team’s plans in 2025. But by claiming Johnson, the Ravens guarantee a compensatory pick in return should any team sign the unrestricted free agent before the 2025 draft.
Houston waived the former Pro Bowl wide receiver, who was playing for his fourth NFL team since March, on Tuesday. Johnson was claimed off waivers from the Ravens on Dec. 23.
Johnson, 28, played in one regular-season game with the Texans and in the AFC wild-card victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. He made a total of three receptions for 24 yards on five targets.
With the Ravens, Johnson reeled in just one catch for six yards and received a one-game suspension for what the team said was refusing to enter a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 1.
Johnson was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to Carolina in March and then was traded from the Panthers to the Ravens in October.
A third-round draft pick in 2019, Johnson had 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns in seven games (all starts) for the Panthers earlier this season.
In six seasons, the 2021 Pro Bowl selection has 424 career receptions for 4,738 yards and 28 TDs in 89 regular-season games (75 starts) for the Steelers (2019-23), Panthers, Ravens and Texans.
