Latest news with #DiontaeJohnson
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Browns' Diontae Johnson's Role Unclear in Offense
Browns' Diontae Johnson's Role Unclear in Offense originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Cleveland Browns are clearly focused on solving the quarterback situation this offseason, but there are other pressing needs on the offense, too. Advertisement One of the biggest battles in training camp will be at wide receiver, particularly after the team shipped off Amari Cooper last year. To hopefully help out the passing game, the Browns brought in six-year veteran Diontae Johnson, who spent 2024 with three different teams. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski discussed Johnson's past and what the team expects from him this season. 'Diontae [Johnson]'s a veteran that's played at a high level. We'll see as he gets involved more. These OTAs will be really good for him because this system is new for him,' Stefanski said. 'But I'm excited about the skillset and he's got to obviously prove it to us and he's excited to do that.' Advertisement While Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman are the favorites for the top two receiver spots, the No. 3 guy is certainly in question. Johnson should be the one filling it, but there is some doubt about him. The Athletic's Zac Jackson thinks Johnson's contract status could mean he's not necessarily a lock to even make the team. "Diontae Johnson signed a one-year deal with Cleveland after the draft, and given his experience and production, Johnson is the clear favorite to win the slot receiver job," Jackson wrote. "But he's been on five teams in the last 15 months and got no guaranteed money in his deal, so his role can only be penciled in for now. Ideally, the Browns would use Johnson as an underneath option to complement Jeudy's explosiveness and move both receivers around the formation." The bigger problem for the Browns with regard to Johnson is his attitude. We can only hope general manager Andrew Berry knew what he was doing when he signed Johnson, not because of the money tied to his deal - there isn't any - but because of the role they need him to play in the offense. Losing him would be a big deal at this point. Related: Browns Predicted to 'Get What They Paid For' in QB Room Related: Browns Roster Cut Candidate Surprises Many This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Who Browns 'Want' To Win Starting QB Job Secret Revealed
Who Browns 'Want' To Win Starting QB Job Secret Revealed originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The convoluted Cleveland Browns quarterback room is about to know drama. And maybe the Browns like it that way. ... because, hey, if you're not going to be good, at least be interesting, right? Advertisement OK, it's too early to suggest that Cleveland is destined for doom. But training camp is less than a month away as four new faces joust for the starting QB job after the Browns learned that Deshaun Watson suffered a significant setback in his recovery from an Achilles injury. So who's who? Cleveland added Joe Flacco. And Kenny Pickett. And in the NFL draft, both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Four quarterbacks on the 90-man roster? Not a problem. A lack of pecking order clarity? The allure of "competition'' aside ... A problem. There are certainly expectations and early projections for what the totem pole will look like. Advertisement Some — rather outlandishly — see Sanders leapfrogging everybody. Many have the wily veteran and fan favorite Flacco earning the starting job with Pickett and the two rookies behind him. However, new Browns receiver Diontae Johnson has an interesting take about how he sees this quarterback battle shaking out. Johnson believes Pickett is the leader in the clubhouse ahead of training camp. 'I think they are going to roll with Kenny (Pickett) for right now,' Johnson said on the "Sport and Suits" podcast. 'I've been seeing Kenny going like right now with the ones. Then Joe (Flacco) will come in. "I think they are probably going to roll with (Pickett) just to see like he's coming off a season with Philly and having a Super Bowl. So, I think they are going to stick with him through the preseason. Then you know they can live with Joe and what he brings to the table.' Advertisement And now there is this: While the Browns surely want to keep this a secret should they really feel this way, NFL Network's "The Insiders" league reporter Gregg Rosenthal addressed Johnson's take. "I think Diontae Johnson is right that the Browns want Kenny Pickett to win the job," Rosenthal said. Rosenthal went on to say that he predicts "Flacco will win the job.'' But that's an opinion. If it's a fact that the Browns have a private desire for Pickett to be the guy? That — and not anybody else in the Cleveland quarterback hierarchy, not even Sanders — is the story. Related: Analyst Predicts Browns QB Struggles Continue This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ravens Ex Breaks Silence On Bizarre Weather Suspension
Ravens Ex Breaks Silence On Bizarre Weather Suspension originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It gets cold in Baltimore. Especially in December near the later portions of the NFL schedule. This shouldn't have been a surprise to most of the Baltimore Ravens players, who had played two home games in November in chilly conditions and were expecting the frigid temps to intensify for their mid-afternoon Week 13 bout with the Philadelphia Eagles at M&T Bank Stadium. Advertisement But for receiver Diontae Johnson it was unbearable. To the point where he was unable to do his job ... or at least preferred not to. When fellow pass-catcher Rashod Bateman went down with an injury earlier in the game, Johnson was called to take his teammates place on the field. Johnson elected to keep his puffy jacket on, which ultimately led to an ugly end to his Ravens career shortly thereafter. Johnson recently appeared on The Comeback podcast to explain the situation of him refusing to enter the game against the Eagles. "It was cold. So, I'm on the sideline, just standing there, just going to the heater – back and forth – just waiting to hear my name called," Johnson said. "So, end of third going into the fourth, they're like, 'Tae, we need you.' I'm like, 'Nah.' To me, I'm thinking, 'I don't think it's a good idea for me,' because I was thinking about, like, my legs – I don't want to go out there and put bad stuff on film. Advertisement "It's not like I didn't want to go in the game, but you've got to think, like, leading up to this point, I'd been through so much." Johnson started his career playing five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers - another notoriously cold playing environment. His time in the Steel City came to an end after remnants of poor relationships and attitudes permeated throughout the locker room about Johnson - those actions don't typically fly under Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh (ask George Pickens or Chase Claypool). He had been traded to Baltimore from the Carolina Panthers midway through the season. About the Week 13 game, Johnson acknowledged that this act was the cause of his suspension. He then figured things weren't going to get much better and that he should get out while he has the chance. "I'd checked out mentally. I was like, 'Whatever happens, happens.' I was just rolling with the punches at that time. So, I told them I wasn't going in. I was like, 'I understand what you're saying, but I'm not going to go in.' So, I just sat on the bench, and that's when they suspended me. Advertisement "I already knew if I went back, I was going to be in the doghouse even more," Johnson said. "So, I just asked to get released, and I got picked up by Houston." Johnson was issued a suspension by the team for Baltimore's Week 14 game at the New York Giants. He was released a week later. After his acquisition, Johnson appeared in just one game with the Houston Texans at the end of last season before getting waived. The six-year receiver joined the Cleveland Browns this offseason on a one-year free agency contract. Newsflash: it snows in Cleveland, too. His response? Johnson said ... "I'm not even trying to think about that." Advertisement Related: Ravens' Kyle Van Noy Seeks Aaron Rodgers Revenge After 10 Years Related: Ravens' John Harbaugh Squat Goes Viral This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
"I didn't wanna go out there": Diontae Johnson confesses he didn't enter a game for Baltimore Ravens last season due to being cold
Diontae Johnson (via Getty Images) Former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Diontae Johnson is in the spotlight today after confessing he once declined to enter an NFL game because he was too cold. Appearing on the Sports & Suits podcast, Diontae Johnson revealed a moment from Week 13 of the 2024 season when the Ravens faced the Philadelphia Eagles on December 1. Even though he was needed late in the game, Diontae Johnson admitted he said "no" because his legs were cold. Diontae Johnson once refused to enter a game—here's why The National Weather Service said the day in Baltimore reached a high of 44°F and bottomed out at 21°F—chilly, but not quite Lambeau Field "Frozen Tundra" levels. The move didn't agree with the Baltimore Ravens. Diontae Johnson reported the denial resulted in a one-game suspension, and soon he was waived. The Houston Texans picked him up, but their things only marginally improved. "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," Diontae Johnson said. Diontae Johnson expects Kenny Pickett to be Browns' starting QB | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC Diontae Johnson's 2024 campaign became a whirlwind, with visits to Carolina, Baltimore, and Houston. He ended the year with 33 receptions for 375 yards and three touchdowns—a huge decline for the former Pro Bowl leader in receptions for multiple Steelers seasons. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 15 Most Beautiful Women Ever Today's NYC Undo After being reclaimed by the Ravens after his Texans release, Johnson was not eligible for postseason games and went on to become a free agent shortly after Baltimore's playoff loss. In April of 2025, Johnson was signed to a one-year, $1.17 million contract with the Cleveland Browns—a transaction now in question, given Cleveland's notoriously cold weather. Cleveland has historically averaged 4–6.5 degrees colder than Baltimore through the NFL season months, based on historical weather data. Cold feet or cold reality? NFL observers and fans are responding with a combination of laughter and dismay to Johnson's candor. On the one hand, he didn't stage an injury or pout on the sidelines—he just said he was cold and didn't want to give any bad tape. On the other hand, "too cold" is not an excuse that goes over big in NFL locker rooms, particularly in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, or Buffalo. Also read: Ice Cube defends NFL's Taylor Swift spark — but says Travis Kelce is the real showstopper And now, Johnson gets a do-over with the Browns, but how long he'll keep warm—and his head in the game—is something that could carry over into the 2025 season. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steelers must re-evaluate their approach to drafting wide receivers
Anyone else remember the days when the Pittsburgh Steelers were praised by the NFL world for their ability to draft wide receivers? Man, those were good times. Guys like Emmanuel Sanders, Antonio Brown, and JuJu Smith-Schuster were guys who really drew immediate praise. Those picks also gave the Steelers the benefit of the doubt on other receivers like Martavis Bryant, Chase Claypool, Diontae Johnson and James Washington. But if we reflect on the Steelers draft over the last decade or so, their track record with receivers has been at best inconsistent and at worst, irresponsible. Here's a breakdown of the picks going back to that fateful 2010 draft that netted Sanders and Brown. Advertisement Emmanuel Sanders Antonio Brown Toney Clemons Markus Wheaton Justin Brown Dri Archer Martavis Bryant Sammie Coates Demarcus Ayers JuJu Smith-Schuster James Washington Diontae Johnson Chase Claypool George Pickens Calvin Austin III Roman Wilson That's a long list of misses over hits and in recent seasons, almost all misses. Guys like Pickens, Johnson and Claypool have turned out to be character concern guys on par with Brown but without the talent to go along with it. If the Steelers want to get back on track with young receivers, they need to re-tool their approach and lean in hard on high-character guys who can play as opposed to these high-ceiling guys with attitudes and egos that make their floors very low. This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers must re-evaluate their approach to drafting wide receivers
