Ex-Panther Diontae Johnson explains what went wrong with Ravens stint

Diontae Johnson flamed out after the Panthers traded him away.

Oct 13, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Diontae Johnson (5) before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

With the Carolina Panthers, Diontae Johnson looked, at times, like he was headed for a big payday in free agency. Following a trade, a release, and then another release, Johnson somewhat inauspiciously landed with the Cleveland Browns.

His first stop last year, with the Baltimore Ravens, seemed like an ideal landing. They needed wide receiver help, and he could contribute to a good offense with QB stability. It failed spectacularly, as he failed to record multiple catches. What went wrong there? Johnson explained to Bleacher Report.

"It just wasn't for me. I checked out mentally. I felt like I wasn't getting used," he said before explaining why he then refused to enter another game later. "I wasn't getting no run plays, no passing plays or nothing. It was cold. End of the third, going into the fourth, they were like, 'Tae, we need you.' I was like, 'Nah, I don't think it's a good idea for me.' Like my legs are already ice cold and I didn't wanna go out there and put bad stuff on film."

Shortly after, the Ravens cut him. So while Baltimore paid very little for him, it ended up being that the Panthers moved up a few picks into the fifth round, they still got literally nothing for him, so the Panthers won the trade by default.

He signed with the Houston Texans, another contender in need of WR help, but that failed, too. The Ravens took him again so they could get a compensatory pick when he signed elsewhere, which he did. Johnson also said the Browns were the only team who showed interest in him.

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