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After weeks and weeks of questions, whispers, and rumors at all levels of NFL interest, the Baltimore Ravens have made it official: Diontae Johnson has been waived.
That's right, after being acquired ahead of the trade deadline, refusing to check in against the Philadelphia Eagles, being suspended one week, and excused from practice the next, Johnson has officially been sent to waiver wires, where he could theoretically end up being claimed by any team – that can afford his contract – or end up being an unrestricted free agent he no one takes the bait.
A disappointing end for Johnson? For members of Ravens Nation, you bet, but hey, after failing to find a spot in Baltimore's offense, Johnson now provides some serious drama just before Christmas, with plenty of teams in need of wide receiver help for one reason or another.
But where should Johnson land? Are there teams that make more sense than others moving forward? Why yes, yes there are, from rebuilding teams, to playoff hopefuls and even an old friend in Allegheny County with a need at wide receiver.
3 potential landing spots for Diontae Johnson
1. New England Patriots
Alright, so why would the Patriots, a team with a 3-11 record, waste everyone's time by claiming Johnson off of waivers? New England hasn't won a game since early November – no, not that Early November – despite getting some very good play out of rookie quarterback Drake Maye, and is fully eliminated from the playoffs as a result.
Well, simple, really: Johnson would make Maye better.
In 2024, the Patriots' receiving corps has been rough. They released JuJu Smith-Schuster before the season, released KJ Osborn in the middle of the season, and have flirted with benching Kendrick Bourne at times in 2024 in favor of giving more looks to receivers like Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte. While Johnson isn't that big of an upgrade over Bourne, a solid WR2 in most schemes, he's already shown that he can be a force for a rebuilding team looking to build up the confidence of their young quarterback, catching 30 of the 58 balls thrown his way by the Panthers earlier this season for 357 yards and three touchdowns.
Plus, there's a precedent for this sort of a move in 2024, a few, actually.
Most notably, when the Denver Broncos made the surprising decision to waive veteran wide receiver Josh Reynolds, he didn't end up going to a team like the Chiefs or the Ravens – teams who showed interest in his services, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler – but instead, the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have been one of the worst teams in the NFL in 2024. After losing veteran receivers Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis – plus tight end Evan Engram – to IR, the Jaguars decided to add another veteran to help out Trevor Lawrence and Mac Jones down the stretch.
So far, the results have been underwhelming for Reynolds, as he's caught exactly zero passes for the Jaguars and has only been targeted on time so far, a far cry from his 93-yard game for the Broncos back in September. Still, every case is different, and if Johnson wants to prove he's worthy of a new ten-figure contract, he needs to show up and show out down the stretch, which the Patriots could allow him to do. If it worked for Yannick Ngakoue at outside linebacker – also, ironically enough, claimed off of waivers from the Ravens – a similar result could come for Johnson too.
2. San Francisco 49ers
Alright, the could really be any team deep in the hunt for a playoff spot with a need at wide receiver, be it the Chiefs, the Eagles, or a certain squad that wears black and yellow – more on them later.
Sitting at 6-8, the 49ers could win out down the stretch and still not make the playoffs, as they are currently two games behind the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West with three games left to play. But with injuries across the board, including three running backs on IR, Brandon Aiyuk out for the year since Week 7, and nicked-up players across the board, the 49ers could use some additional firepower down the stretch, especially with showdowns against the Miami Dolphins, the Detroit Lions, and Arizona Cardinals left to play.
In 2024, George Kittle, Jauan Jennings, and Deebo Samuel are all doing their job, even if the collegiate Gamecock has struggled mightily in 2024 versus his career expectations. Still, the 49ers haven't really gotten much out of their WR3 spot since Aiyuk went down in October. Rickey Pearsall has done his best, with players like Jacob Cowing, Ronnie Bell, and Chris Conley all catching passes in 2024, but the passing game really hasn't reached the same heights as in years passed because Brock Purdy has had arguably his worst supporting cast as a pro.
Could Johnson step in and make plays for the 49ers, kicking Jennings back to his old position to become the 49ers' new X receiver? Potentially so. But would the 49ers really risk bringing in a wide receiver who quit on his team after the whole De'Vondre Campbell debacle? That is a much more interesting question.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
And last but not least, the team that Johnson was being linked to even before he was released by the Ravens: the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Need proof? Well, look no further than what ESPN's Fowler had to say on the subject earlier this month, noting that the Ravens were actually afraid to release the former Steeler out of fear that he would land back in Pittsburgh as the two teams duke it out for the top spot in the AFC North.
“Something to keep in mind if Baltimore cuts Johnson: It plays Pittsburgh — Johnson's old team — in Week 16,” Fowlers wrote for ESPN. “Whether the Steelers would want him back is unclear, but the way some people around the league see it: The threat of him sharing Ravens offensive intel with Pittsburgh could make Baltimore hold on to him.”
Fortunately for the Ravens, they got their wish, as Johnson won't find a new home until a few hours before Monday Night Football. Unfortunately, he could still land back in Pittsburgh, where he knows Mike Tomlinson well, even if they have a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith and a new quarterback in Russell Wilson – plus Justin Fields, who still gets a snap or two here or there. While Johnson had some personal issues in Pittsburgh before he was traded to Carolina, which is nothing new for wide receivers who play in the Steel City, the Steelers have a very good chance to make the playoffs and could use additional help at wide receiver while George Pickins recovers from a hamstring injury.
Could time heal all wounds? Would Johnson be willing to take on a big role for the Steelers over the next few weeks only to become a complementary piece for Pittsburgh when Pickins returns to the field? While Johnson effectively told the Ravens, ‘It's you, not me,' because he didn't play enough to satisfy his own statistical aspirations, who knows, maybe a return to Pittsburgh and a chance to chase a ring would be the best-case scenario for all parties involved. Really, the only question that would need to be asked is what number would Johnson take since Mike Williams got number 18 when he was acquired from the New York Jets shortly after the Toledo product was traded to Baltimore.
