Ravens ensure they'll get the last laugh with Diontae Johnson thanks to their latest roster move
The Baltimore Ravens decided to get wide receiver Diontae Johnson back.Kind of, sort of, not really.Baltimore claimed Johnson off waivers a day after the wideout was cut by the Houston Texans, but the Ravens will not be awarded him until after the Super Bowl. This means that Johnson is under Baltimore's control, but is unable […]
The Baltimore Ravens decided to get wide receiver Diontae Johnson back.
Kind of, sort of, not really.
Baltimore claimed Johnson off waivers a day after the wideout was cut by the Houston Texans, but the Ravens will not be awarded him until after the Super Bowl.
This means that Johnson is under Baltimore's control, but is unable to play through the conclusion of the postseason. After the Super Bowl, whether or not the Ravens play in it, Johnson will be on the Baltimore's roster (unless he is cut by the team) until the league year ends and he becomes a free agent.
There are two reasons why the Ravens would do this to Johnson, and both would benefit the team more than the player.
Baltimore could net a 2026 compensatory pick for losing Johnson in free agency
Johnson would factor into the compensatory pick formula if he signs a free agent offer with another club this offseason. The contract would have to be expensive enough to be one of qualifying contracts, but it is possible that another team's decision to sign Johnson could benefit Baltimore's 2026 NFL Draft plans.
The Ravens traded their fifth-round pick from the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft to acquire Johnson and a 2026 sixth-round pick from the Carolina Panthers back in late October. He was suspended by the team in early December for refusing to play against the Philadelphia Eagles and was later cut. The Houston Texans claimed him off waivers days before their Christmas Day loss to the Ravens in Week 16, and the Texans let him go on Tuesday.
All of that drama brings us to the second, and perhaps the most important, reason why the Ravens brought back Johnson
Baltimore is doing this to spite Johnson
In all likelihood, no team is going to pay Johnson enough money in the offseason to ensure a comp pick goes to the Ravens next year. The main reason why the Ravens claimed him off waivers is to make sure he doesn't join a team and become eligible to play in a playoff game again. He played 16 snaps during the Texans' Wild Card Round win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
After the game, Johnson reportedly "made a scene" in the Texans' locker room, leading to his dismissal from the club.
Postseason rules forced Johnson to hit waivers, and any team still alive in the playoffs could claim him within 24 hours despite not being able to play him. The team that did happened to be the same one that burned a future draft pick on him not even three months ago.
You can safely assume those feelings were a factor with this decision.
So yes, Johnson is technically a Raven again, but not really. Baltimore did this to punish Johnson for what he did to them.
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