Diontae Johnson free agency: NFL insider reveals potential destinations for former Ravens WR

The Baltimore Ravens elected to waive WR Diontae Johnson before Saturday’s Week 16 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it doesn’t appear like he’ll be a free agent for long.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport revealed on Sunday that potential landing spots include one of his former teams, the Steelers, as well as the Los Angeles Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs. Rapoport explained Johnson’s situation further on the NFL Network.

“It was a whole mess,” Rapoport said of Johnson’s trade to Baltimore from the Carolina Panthers. “Remember, he refused to enter the game, was suspended and didn’t come to the facility. Timing, of course, was interesting for the release. Had they released him a day earlier, maybe his old team, the Steelers, could have claimed him and then played him against the Ravens. But they want to make sure that did not happen.”

Rapoport said by 4 p.m. ET on Monday, it will be revealed whether Johnson is claimed — and more importantly, who his new team may be.

“My understanding is there’s a pretty good chance he is,” Rapoport concluded.

Johnson was sent to Carolina in an offseason trade from the Steelers. There, he quickly cemented himself as the Panthers’ top wideout. At the time of his trade, he led Carolina with 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns.

He moved on from one of the league’s worst offenses in Carolina to the league’s best in Baltimore. However, the two sides never clicked and his time with the Ravens came to an unceremonious end earlier this week. He caught one pass for the Ravens, which came against the Cincinnati Bengals in November.

Johnson spent the first five seasons of his career in Pittsburgh. Now, he will be with his third team in one season when he gets picked up off waivers. He had 4,726 career receiving and 28 touchdowns since entering the league in 2019. His lone 1,000-yard receiving season came with the Steelers in 2021.