Chargers Tried to Land Former Ravens WR

Another AFC foe put in a claim for a now-former Baltimore Ravens wideout.

Jon Alfano | 20 Hours Ago

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

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Baltimore Ravens

After the Baltimore Ravens placed wide receiver Diontae Johnson on waivers Friday, it seemed very likely that some team would claim him when the wire opened on Monday.

That "some team" ended up being the Houston Texans, adding a new layer of intrigue to Wednesday's Christmas Day showdown. However, they weren't the only team to put in a claim on him.

According to multiple reports, the Los Angeles Chargers also attempted to put in a claim for Johnson, adding to their ever-growing collection of former Ravens. Heck, even though they missed out on Johnson, they still added another former Raven on Monday in safety Eddie Jackson.

The #Texans weren’t the only team to put in a waiver claim on WR Diontae Johnson.

Johnson was also claimed by the #Chargers, who would’ve made him the latest member of the Harbaugh-to-Harbaugh club. But Houston had higher priority and got him. pic.twitter.com/O1AL43e0N3
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 23, 2024

Jokes aside, it makes some sense why Los Angeles tried to claim Johnson. The Chargers don't have the best set of receivers aside from standout rookie Ladd McConkey, so Johnson could've provided a short-term solution as they head into the playoffs. Of course, that's assuming he played for them following his issues in Baltimore, but it makes sense from a certain point of view.

Some may be confused as to how the Texans were awarded Johnson over the Chargers as they are higher in the league standings, and the waiver priority list is normally the inverse of the current standings. Daniel Popper, who covers the Chargers for The Athletic, theorized that it came down to a strength of schedule tiebreaker, and the slightly lower win percentage of the Texans' opponents actually ended up being a benefit to them.

I think it was opponent strength of schedule, so aggregate winning percentage of a team's opponents.

HOU SOS: .4911 (110-114 cumulative record)
LAC SOS: .5089 (114-110 cumulative record)

Lower winning percentage gets priority. https://t.co/DoQXp93gsP
— Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) December 23, 2024