Diontae Johnson has been more of a story with the Ravens than an actual player. After being traded for by Baltimore to work with MVP Lamar Jackson, Johnson was targeted five time in four games for only one catch. After that, he refused to enter the game against the Philadelphia Eagles, resulting in being suspended for the Giants game after their bye week.
Johnson was slated to return this week to play the Steelers, his former team and a matchup he said he was excited for. Instead, the Ravens and Johnson have mutually decided to excuse him this week.
While this doesn’t technically end Johnson’s time with the Ravens, the writing seems on the wall. When asked about why Johnson wasn’t just cut after now not appearing in three straight games, head coach John Harbaugh was rather short and deflected it to a front office decision rather than a coaching decision.
While nothing in certain, reading in-between the lines seems clear here. The Ravens will likely hold onto Johnson for the rest of the season for two reasons. One, this stops another playoff contender from potentially grabbing him. Two, if Johnson isn’t cut and is held onto, once he reaches free agency, the Ravens could potentially receive a compensatory pick for him.
It’s a disappointment from where the trade first began. The Ravens certainly could have used a third wide receiver with a proven ability to beat man coverage and be a known depth piece in case of injury. Teams like the Kansas City Chiefs, and Pittsburgh Steelers — who the Ravens play this week — typically play a lot of man coverage against the Ravens, so Johnson was likely brought in specifically for those matchups.
Instead, it seems as though the Ravens are okay with paying Johnson to keep him out of the hands of Kansas City, Buffalo, or any other contender and getting a draft pick back in 2026 for doing so.
