Insider Links Chiefs to Former Ravens WR Diontae Johnson – Does It Make Sense for KC?

After he was waived by the Baltimore Ravens, Diontae Johnson was recently linked to the Kansas City Chiefs by a prominent NFL insider.

Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) reaches for an incomplete pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Throughout the 2024-25 season, the wide receiver position has been constantly discussed in Kansas City Chiefs circles. Whether it be the development of first-round pick Xavier Worthy, injuries to others or anything in between, plenty of discourse and speculation made waves in recent months.

Not too long ago, some even thought it made sense for general manager Brett Veach to pursue Diontae Johnson as a solution. That was when the veteran wideout was with the Carolina Panthers. Nothing ever manifested, however, as Johnson went to the Baltimore Ravens in a pick-swap trade and Kansas City landed DeAndre Hopkins to bolster its receiver room. With Johnson being waived by Baltimore and soon available on waivers, are the Chiefs even remotely in the mix?

Surprisingly, the answer is yes according to a prominent NFL insider. Taking to X on Saturday morning, Adam Schefter of ESPN said Johnson is a probable candidate to be claimed on waivers. He name-dropped the reigning Super Bowl champions as a possible destination for the one-time Pro Bowler.

"Former Ravens WR Diontae Johnson is likely to be claimed on waivers Monday, per sources," Schefter wrote. "Potential landing spots include but are not limited to the Chargers and Chiefs - if Johnson even makes it that far on waivers."

In advance of this year's trade deadline, here's some of what Joshua Brisco of Kansas City Chiefs On SI had to say in our discussion about whether the Chiefs should move to add Johnson.

"The other name that feels plausible is Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson," Brisco began. "You wrote about him in March, when it was reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers didn't want to send Johnson to KC. Assuming the Chiefs' interest in Johnson was legitimate at the time, he makes almost as much sense now as he did in the spring. The Chiefs could also, in a high-risk, high-reward gamble, extend the 28-year-old Johnson before he hits free agency after this season. If the team would be willing to trust their past evaluation of Johnson, he could suddenly become part of a trio with Rice and Worthy for the 2025 and '26 seasons, with Rice and Worthy on team-friendly rookie contracts."

To say some things have changed since then would be an understatement. Johnson went for dirt cheap on the trade market, which was puzzling considering he was less than two years removed from being a high-production player. Over the next several weeks, he fizzled out in Baltimore after refusing to go into Week 13's game and ultimately getting suspended for it. His Ravens tenure ended on a sour note and with just one catch on five targets. Six yards and 39 offensive snaps was far from what anyone expected him to offer.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs got Hopkins up to speed and kept working with Worthy on the fly. Now, they have Marquise "Hollywood" Brown coming back for Saturday's game against the Houston Texans. With such limited time remaining before the postseason, there's a case to be made that pursuing Johnson right now doesn't make much sense. He'd have to be a good on-field fit, cultural fit and absorb a complicated playbook very quickly to stand any chance of impacting winning football. It simply isn't too realistic.

That's, of course, without even considering waivers. As Schefter alluded to, Johnson is no lock to go unclaimed for that long. Given Kansas City's standing atop the NFL, every team would have a shot to pick him up first. That's a long list of factors working against this from happening.

In early October, it seemed wise. Now, it seems everything but that.

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