Jaguars Claim WR Jon’Vea Johnson off Waivers From Cowboys
A familiar face has been added to Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver coach Sanjay Lal's meeting room.
The Jaguars officially claimed wide receiver Jon’Vea Johnson off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys, bringing Lal and Johnson back together.
Lal was the Cowboys' wide receivers coach in Johnson's rookie season in Dallas in 2019 after Dallas signed Johnson as an undrafted free agent out of Toledo.
In four years with Toledo, Johnson finished his college career with 53 games played (second in school history), 125 receptions, 2,265 yards, an 18.1-yard average, and 25 receiving touchdowns.
As a sophomore, Johnson earned All-Mac second-team honors, ending the season with 10 touchdown catches and 773 yards on 40 catches.
In his final year in school, Johnson caught 42 passes for 689 yards and five touchdowns. In his final season, he caught 32 passes for 660 yards and scored nine touchdowns, making him a consistent scoring threat during his collegiate tenure.
Johnson has yet to appear in an NFL game. He was placed on injured reserve as a rookie with a shoulder injury and missed the entirety of his rookie season. In 2020, Johnson was waived before the season began before eventually signing back to the team's practice squad.
Johnson signed a reserve/future contract with the Cowboys at the end of the 2020 season but was waived by the Cowboys on Friday. Johnson reportedly was a training camp standout as a rookie, quickly earning praise from Lal.
"It's not a surprise, because we loved his film, but Jon'Vea the last two days, his speed and athleticism and how smooth he is has shown up here – almost a little bit earlier than we thought it would," Lal said in 2019 according to DallasCowboys.com.
Johnson is the fourth receiver added to the Jaguars' active roster this week, joining free agent additions Phillip Dorsett, Marvin Jones, and Jamal Agnew.