Ravens WRs Support Diontae Johnson After Suspension

The Baltimore Ravens' wide receivers have each other's backs.

Nov 17, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson (18) reaches for an incomplete pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Throughout the Baltimore Ravens bye week, the status of wide receiver Diontae Johnson hung over the team like a dark cloud.

Johnson, whom the Ravens acquired from the Carolina Panthers before the trade deadline, received a one game suspension from the team after he apparently refused to enter a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 1. The former Pro Bowl receiver has barely played since arriving in Baltimore, and with the suspension, his status going forward is anyone's guess.

Head coach John Harbaugh declined to comment further on the situation during Monday's press conference, the Ravens' first since they announced the suspension. However, the players had a very different reaction as wide receivers Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers both said the situation wasn't a "distraction."

"I don't think so," Bateman said. "Everybody in here [are] grown men. We all know we've got a task at hand, individually, and [Johnson] knows that, too. We're all aware of the situation. So, hopefully, we'll see him back next week."

"It's not a distraction," Flowers said. "That isn't my decision to make. Diontae is still going to ... He's one of my guys. He's one of our guys, so I don't really have much to say about it."

The Ravens have chosen to keep their heads down and ignore any outside distractions throughout the entire season, so it's no surprise that they'd take the same approach here.

Still, it's hard not to think about how this entire saga has unfolded. Johnson is a talented receiver, and when the Ravens acquired him for almost nothing in return, many thought he could be a valuable piece for the offense. Unfortunately, it simply hasn't worked out for either player or team, and this is likely to be a very brief stay in Baltimore.

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