Patriots Named Suitor for Former Ravens Controversial WR

The New England Patriots have been named a possible for a wide receiver recently released by the Baltimore Ravens.

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. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots have had a major need at the wide receiver position all season long. With just three weeks left in the season, there is a chance that they could take a look at a recently released wide receiver.

Ahead of the NFL trade deadline this year, Diontae Johnson was one of the most coveted wide receiver targets. He ended up being moved to the Baltimore Ravens, which was expected to be a huge move to round out their offense.

Unfortunately, things ended very badly between the two sides. He refused to play in games and there were other issues as well, which led to his release from the Ravens on Friday.

Where could Johnson end up landing for the next chapter of his career?

Matty Breisch of ClutchPoints believes that the Patriots could make sense as an interesting landing spot for the veteran wideout.

"Still, every case is different, and if Johnson wants to prove he's worthy of a new ten-figure contract, he needs to show up and show out down the stretch, which the Patriots could allow him to do. If it worked for Yannick Ngakoue at outside linebacker – also, ironically enough, claimed off of waivers from the Ravens – a similar result could come for Johnson too," Breisch wrote.

So far this season in basically seven games with the Carolina Panthers, Johnson has caught 31 passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns. He has played in four games with Baltimore, but only caught one pass for six yards.

There are major concerns about Johnson's interest in playing football.

Landing with Baltimore was expected to be a perfect fit for him. They are a Super Bowl contender and Lamar Jackson is playing the best football of his career. However, he simply did not want to play.

At 28 years old, Johnson has three games left to earn the money back that he lit on fire due to his brutal stint with the Ravens. Joining New England would give him a chance to earn some of that money back with a strong performance in the last three outings.

All of that being said, this is something to keep an eye on. The Patriots are high on the waiver claim list should they choose to do so.

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