"Diontae Johnson lit millions on fire" - NFL insider eviscerates $10,000,000 Ravens WR for throwing away shot at major payday
Diontae Johnson has been waived by the Baltimore Ravens, almost three weeks after he declined to play against the Philadelphia Eagles. His relationship with the team had been strained due to his usage, and his refusal to play led to the decision to part ways.
Johnson, who was earning $10 million in 2024 per Spotrac, was traded to the Ravens from the Carolina Panthers in October (along with a 2025 sixth-round draft pick) in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round draft pick. After building a good reputation in Pittsburgh and signing a two-year, $36.710 million extension in 2022, Johnson's career could be on the ropes on the back of two swift trades and being waived.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler believes Diontae Johnson's career trajectory has been significantly impacted by his short time in Baltimore. He took to X to share his thoughts:
"No other way around it: Diontae Johnson lit millions on fire. Was set to be a top-25 free agent before the issues in Baltimore."
Diontae Johnson recorded only one reception on 5 targets for 6 yards in Baltimore after looking good in Carolina, where he had 30 receptions for 357 yards and 3 TDs amid some spotty QB play. Now, Johnson is not going to be attracting the multi-year, high annual average value deal he might have been on target for before arriving at the Ravens.
Diontae Johnson rumors
With Diontae Johnson being released, it will be interesting to see if a team picks him up on waivers. Johnson can be claimed at 4 p.m. ET on Monday and a reunion with his former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, could make sense.
Russell Wilson's strong performances under center mean the 10-4 Steelers are in the Super Bowl conversation, and George Pickens' injury is a concern. Whether Mike Williams can effectively step into that role is unclear, as is how long Pickens might be out for, and Pittsburgh could pick up Johnson and slot him back into their lineup.
Last Word on Sports' Anthony Palacios sees the Kansas City Chiefs and the LA Chargers as potential landing spots. The Chargers are an interesting idea, and while Ladd McConkey has looked good in his rookie season, LA might look to boost its post-season credentials, especially with other AFC powerhouses sniffing.
Kansas City has the lowest waiver priority, which means everyone would have to pass on Johnson before they could claim him. Adding another big-name WR to the Chiefs receiver room doesn't exactly make sense, especially with Johnson unhappy with his usage in Baltimore.
The Chiefs activated Marquise Brown and traded for DeAndre Hopkins this season, while already having Xavier Worthy and JuJu Smith-Schuster. However, With Mecole Hardman and Skyy Moore both injured, KC could use some more depth in the position.
This will be an interesting situation to keep an eye on.