The Cleveland Browns are moving on from former Pro Bowl receiver Diontae Johnson, who was looking to revive his career with the team.
The Browns officially released Johnson on Tuesday as part of their final wave of cuts. Johnson was looking to revive his career in Cleveland after a turbulent 2024 that saw him spent time on three different teams.
The Browns signed Johnson this offseason, giving the former Pro Bowl pass-catcher a shot on a veteran’s minimum deal with no guaranteed money. He said the Browns were the only team to reach out to him in free agency.
Johnson failed to impress in camp and preseason games. Cleveland will roll with Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, Jamari Thrash, Isaiah Bond, Gage Larvadain and DeAndre Carter in their wide receiver corps. It was reported that Carter would be let go on Monday but the Browns will not be parting ways with him.
Following his release, Carter issued a four-word statement.
“Appreciate the opportunity regardless,” Johnson said.
Diontae Johnson Wanted to ‘Change Narrative’ With Browns
It’s unclear if Johnson will get another shot in the NFL. He’s burned some bridges over the last few seasons, although he has proven that he can produce at the NFL level. He’s collected 424 catches for 4,738 yards and 28 touchdowns over 89 career games.
“I don’t want to speak on a lot of stuff,” Johnson said during minicamp. “Everybody’s going to have their opinions, you know what I’m saying? So at the end of the day, I’m the only one in that room that really know what’s going on. They’re entitled to their own opinion, so I can only go off of what I know and then try to go off what I put out there and my best effort. But like I said, last year is last year. I’m trying to change that narrative and move the right way and keep going.”
What didn’t help Johnson’s cause was the late addition of Bond to the Browns’ roster. Cleveland signed Bond as an undrafted free agent after his legal troubles cleared up, inking him to a three-year deal.
Some had Bond projected as a mid-round pick but the Texas speedster went undrafted as teams awaited the case’s outcome.
Browns Opt for Youth at Wide Receiver
The Browns’ wide receiver room skews young, and 22-year-old undrafted rookie Larvadain emerged as one of the standouts of the preseason. His ability to consistently make plays and line up in multiple roles within the offense quickly made him a fan favorite. That versatility likely gave him the edge over Johnson when it came to the final roster decisions.
“A lot to sort out, but really pleased with Gage and all of those young guys in that room and really in all those rooms. All of them did what we asked them to do, constantly were in the building getting better,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said after the final preseason game. “He’s an example of a young man that knows what to do, can line up everywhere and performs both in practice and in the games.”
The Browns open the regular season on Sept. 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
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