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In one of the Baltimore Ravens' latest moves, they acquired wide receiver Diontae Johnson from the Carolina Panthers, bolstering their offense as the season progresses. For Johnson, he was able to transition from a 1-7 team to a championship-level team, and he shared how he felt once he learned about the trade.
“Once I found out where I was going, I was excited,” Johnson said. “Sigh of relief. I'm ready to work.”
Johnson has been a solid receiver throughout his career, where he was one of the top options with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He decided to sign with the Panthers in free agency, and through eight weeks, he's had 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns.
The Ravens are now adding Johnson to a receiver group with Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman, and he'll make their offense more dynamic.
Diontae Johnson ready to contribute for the Ravens
The Ravens are very familiar with Diontae Johnson after battling him for years in the division while he was with the Steelers. Johnson spent five seasons with the Steelers and caught 391 passes for 4,363 yards and 25 touchdowns. His best season was in 2021, where he had 107 receptions, 1,161 yards, and eight touchdowns.
“Diontae is a guy we obviously know a little bit about, playing against him all those years with the Steelers,” head coach John Harbaugh said. “When he was in Carolina, studied him on tape, looked good. Out here today in practice, he looked good. He's in the process of trying to pick up the offense and be ready to contribute as soon as he can.”
Johnson will come in as a veteran receiver, and he's willing to help the others on the team.
“Just trying to be that guy that the young guys can come to – just for route stuff or little stuff that I know I can help them out with,” Johnson said. “Just making plays, bringing that energy to the offense.”
The Ravens are currently 5-3 and are looking to gain more ground in the standings. Their next couple of games won't be easy as they play the Denver Broncos in Week 9 and then back-to-back divisional games against the Cincinnati Bengals and Steelers.
Lamar Jackson has been playing at an MVP level once again this season, and the offense has been fluid for the most part, but it's the defense that has had its ups and downs. If both sides of the ball can play consistently at the same time, the Ravens will be a hard time to beat.
