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After the Baltimore Ravens traded for Diontae Johnson on Oct. 29, 2024, it appeared that Lamar Jackson would have another speedy target to throw to. While the trade wasn't major by any means, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh seemingly felt strongly enough about Johnson's abilities to send draft capital for him. However, following a zero-snap performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13, Harbaugh gave a cryptic response on the reasoning, per ESPN's Jamison Hensley on X.
“At this time, I'm going to have to wait,” Harbaugh told reporters on Monday. “There are moving parts we're going to have to figure out and explore.”
Now, following this response, there's really no telling what's going on between Harbaugh and Johnson— if anything.
However, as someone who's bounced from team to team, Harbaugh might've found out why other teams weren't as eager to have him on their roster. Given the personalities Mike Tomlin has coached while leading the Pittsburgh Steelers, it was a bit telling when he wasn't willing to re-sign the former third-round pick when his rookie contract expired.
Johnson was coming off an 87-reception, 717-yard, five-touchdown season when the Steelers decided to let him walk in free agency. Now, on one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL, he's not being used.
Ravens' John Harbaugh keeps quiet on Diontae Johnson's zero-snap performance
Once traded from the Carolina Panthers to Harbaugh's Ravens, Johnson appeared in 39 total offensive snaps from Week 9 until Week 12. Then, in Week 13, as the Ravens faced the Eagles, Johnson was held to zero snaps.
Looking at the game before, Johnson appeared in just six snaps, totaling one target. However, considering his stat line of one reception for six yards since joining the Ravens, it doesn't look like Harbaugh has been pleased with what Johnson's brought to their offense.
And considering the makeup of their receiver room before Johnson's arrival, it was a bit shocking to see the Ravens trade for him.
Baltimore already has receivers similar to Johnson in Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers, so for them to trade for another small, shifty receiver was head-scratching.
And although Harbaugh didn't open up too much about the situation with Johnson's zero-snap outing against the Eagles, it'll be an interesting story to keep up with. The Ravens face off against Johnson's former team, the Panthers, in Week 14. Maybe they just wanted him well-rested for his revenge game.
