The Baltimore Ravens thought they were doing Diontae Johnson a solid — and helping themselves, of course — when they traded a 5th-round pick to the lowly Carolina Panthers for the former NFL All-Pro in October 20224.
In return for a chance to play for a Super Bowl contender, finish the season out strong, and probably set himself up for another major payday, Johnson gave them headaches.
After a bizarre incident in which he refused to go into a game against the Philadelphia Eagles in December 2024 — and was subsequently suspended and then released — Johnson is giving his side of the story.
Like most things with Johnson, it went poorly.
Appearing on a podcast recently, Johnson’s re-telling of the story boils down to that he thought being the 4th receiver and coming off the bench with 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter after starter Rashod Bateman was, in so many words, beneath him.
“(Bateman) went down, they called me like ‘Tae, we need you.’ I’m like, nah, I don’t know man … I ain’t gonna go cause I don’t wanna pull nothing,” Johnson said. “I’m just finna sit right here, coach … That’s when they suspended me.”
Johnson was claimed off waivers by the Houston Texans, then landed back with the Ravens briefly before signing a 1-year contract with the Cleveland Browns, but he hasn’t suited up for a regular-season game since the incident with the Ravens.
Johnson Dominant WR/Return Specialist at Times
At different times since the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Johnson out of Toledo in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft, he’s been one of the league’s dominant special teams player and wide receivers. That includes 2024, when he led the Panthers with 30 receptions for 357 yards and 3 touchdowns before he was traded on October 29.
Johnson was named NFL All-Pro and selected to the Pro Bowl as a rookie at return specialist in 2019 and had career highs in receptions (107), receiving yards (1,161) and touchdowns (8) in 2021 before signing a 4-year, $36.7 million contract extension before the 2022 season.
Johnson has at least 700 receiving yards in each of the 4 seasons before he was traded to the Panthers in March 2024.
Crashing Out in Baltimore Cost Johnson Millions
Johnson may have cost himself millions of dollars with what happened in Baltimore — going to a contender and essentially getting kicked off the team after 2 months when everything is set up for you to succeed is a bad look, no matter how you spin it.
That’s not to say Johnson won’t have a new employer in 2026 — it will just be at a greatly-reduced rate and an ultra-short leash.
Had things even gone sort of well in Baltimore — or he’d just stuck it out and had a solid season in Carolina — it’s safe to say he could have landed a contract similar to Jakobi Meyers, who signed a 3-year, $33 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in March 2023.
“Every athlete should see this of a perfect example of what not to do,” State of the States wrote on its official X account after Johnson’s recent comments. “Self centered (expletive) that was picked up as a 4th receiver and won’t do his job. This is the type of gross attitude that takes you from being a talented receiver to a free agent doing a no name podcast.”
Former Ravens WR Gives Wild Excuse for Refusing to Enter Game