In one of the surprising moves of the NFL season, Diontae Johnson is set to return to the Baltimore Ravens. Per the NFL wire, the Ravens have claimed Johnson off waivers from the Houston Texans — yet there is a catch to the claim.
Since Johnson was released form the Texans this postseason, the Ravens can’t play Johnson during these playoffs. Johnson won’t officially be on the Ravens roster until after the Super Bowl and will qualify as an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
If Johnson signs with another team, he would factor into Baltimore’s compensatory pick formula for 2026. The Ravens could get draft capital just by having him count on their roster before the start of the new league year if they decide not to re-sign him and allow him to walk in free agency.
Johnson has caught 391 passes for 4,363 yards and 25 touchdowns in 77 career games played. He made the Pro Bowl with Pittsburgh in 2021 after catching 107 passes for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns.
Johnson played in two total games for the Texans before being released, catching two passes for 12 yards in the regular-season finale against the Tennessee Titans, and one catch for 12 yards in the wild-card win over the Los Angeles Chargers. The 28-year-old was claimed by the Texans on Dec. 23 after being waived by the Ravens, but he’s set to return to Baltimore less than a month later.
Baltimore sent the Carolina Panthers a fifth-round pick in exchange for Johnson and a sixth-rounder in October, but Johnson was unhappy with his role in the offense in his first stint with the Ravens. The wideout was even suspended for the Week 15 matchup against the New York Giants for conduct detrimental to the team before being cut.
In the last calendar year, Johnson has suited up for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Panthers, Ravens and Texans. He’s been traded twice and waived twice. Now he’s set to be back with the Ravens for the second time this season.
