Diontae Johnson is back with the Ravens. Sort of.
The Ravens claimed Johnson today after he was placed on waivers by the Texans yesterday. But under NFL rules, Johnson is ineligible to play for the rest of the postseason and doesn’t officially go on the Ravens’ roster until after the Super Bowl. And Johnson becomes a free agent in March, so he’s really not going to be part of the Ravens in any meaningful sense.
So why claim Johnson? From the Ravens’ standpoint, it likely has to do with compensatory picks. If Johnson signs with another team in free agency, he’ll count as a player the Ravens lost toward the compensatory pick formula, which awards picks to teams that lose more players than they sign. So perhaps Johnson’s contract with some other team will result in the Ravens getting a late-round compensatory pick in 2026. The Ravens are always one of the most forward-thinking NFL teams about compensatory picks, and this is another example of that.
A third-round pick of the Steelers in 2019, Johnson has at times looked like a very talented and promising wide receiver. But his career hit the skids in 2024, when he was first traded from the Steelers to the Panthers, then traded from the Panthers to the Ravens, then cut by the Ravens and claimed by the Texans, and now cut by the Texans and claimed by the Ravens.
He’ll try to sign on somewhere in 2025. Depending on what kind of contract he signs, the Ravens may benefit in 2026.