On Wednesday, the Baltimore Ravens made a shrewd move when they signed a former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted that Baltimore claimed WR Diontae Johnson off waivers from the Houston Texans. The WR won’t officially be “awarded” to the Ravens until after the Super Bowl.
Schefter added Johnson qualifies as an unrestricted free agent this offseason. If he signs with another team, he could help Baltimore secure a compensatory draft pick in 2026.
Per Over the Cap, the league awards picks to teams that lose more players than they sign in free agency. The Ravens could be one of these franchises. Spotrac estimates Baltimore will have $22.67M in cap room in 2025, 21st in the NFL.
Johnson has bounced around the league. Before the season, the Steelers dealt him to the Carolina Panthers. He caught 30 passes for 357 yards and three touchdowns in seven games for Carolina, who traded him to Baltimore on Oct. 29.
The Ravens waived Johnson after they suspended him one game for refusing to play in Week 13 against the Philadelphia Eagles. He had one reception for six yards in four games with Baltimore.
On Tuesday, the Texans waived Johnson, who was “visibly upset” after their wild-card win over the Los Angeles Chargers, via ESPN. In the 32-12 victory, he recorded one reception for 12 yards.
“Unfortunately, with Diontae, it didn’t work out,” Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans told the media Tuesday. “We’re on to the Chiefs [in the divisional round].”
Still, a team may take a risk on Johnson. In his first five seasons with the Steelers, the 28-year-old made a Pro Bowl and earned a second-team All-Pro nod.
If the Ravens obtain a compensatory pick, perhaps general manager Eric DeCosta will make another excellent selection. Since becoming GM in 2019, he has drafted stars, including safety Kyle Hamilton, defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike and wide receiver Zay Flowers.
