Texans Waive Former Ravens WR Diontae Johnson
Well, Diontae Johnson's post-Baltimore Ravens career is off to a rocky start.
On Tuesday, the Houston Texans announced that they have released the troubled wide receiver ahead of their Divisional Round matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. Johnson, who Houston claimed off waivers from Baltimore on Dec. 23, appeared in just two games for his new team. He had two receptions for 12 yards against the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 5, and one reception for 12 yards against the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday in the Wild Card Round.
Johnson, 28, has now left four different teams in the span of 10 months. He was traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Carolina Panthers in March, then traded to the Ravens in October, and finally joined the Texans off waivers in December. After spending the first five years of his career in Pittsburgh, Johnson's career now looks to be in a very precarious position.
That said, he did himself no favors with his brief stint in Baltimore. Acquired to bolster the receiving corps, the former Pro Bowl wideout played just 39 offensive snaps in five games with the Ravens, and had just one reception for six yards on five targets.
Tensions reached a boiling point during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 1, when he refused to go enter the game despite an injury to fellow wideout Rashod Bateman. His actions earned him a one-game suspension from the team, and he was then excused from team activities after serving said suspension. On Dec. 20, the Ravens decided to cut their losses and put him on waivers.
The Texans then claimed him just two days before their game against the Ravens on Christmas Day, but he did not play in that game.
Johnson was scheduled to be a free agent this offseason, but the latter half of this season has likely cost him millions of dollars.