Diontae Johnson’s final shot at salvaging his NFL career could very well come with the Cleveland Browns — and he’ll be on a tight leash from the start.
The former Pro Bowl wide receiver was once considered one of the league’s most dynamic route-runners, but a mix of inconsistency, injuries, and sideline drama torpedoed his trajectory.
Now, he lands with the Browns on a one-year, $1.17 million deal — the veteran’s minimum — with no guarantees. Cleveland will not hesitate to let him go if he makes a mistake or creates a locker room drama. Johnson must make the right impression to stick around, per Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.
“He’ll come in behind the eight-ball, needing to prove himself and show the Browns that he can put his head down, work hard, and mostly keep his mouth shut, which hasn’t been his forte,” Cabot said. “If Johnson gripes about his role, his targets compared to (Jerry) Jeudy and (Cedric) Tillman, or which quarterback should be starting over the other, he’ll find himself saying goodbye to his fifth team in just over a year, and possibly to his NFL career.”
Diontae Johnson Coming Off Tumultuous Season
Johnson was looking for a new team after an interesting 2024 season spent with the Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans.
Johnson began the season with the Panthers and quickly emerged as a go-to target in their offense. Over seven games, he led the team with 30 receptions for 357 yards and three touchdowns. His best showing came in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders, when he racked up a career-high 122 receiving yards and a touchdown.
However, Johnson was frustrated with Carolina’s offensive system despite his production. That tension led to a midseason trade to the Ravens. His time in Baltimore was brief and turbulent. He managed just one catch for six yards in four appearances and was suspended one game for conduct detrimental to the team after refusing to enter a game. Baltimore ultimately waived him.
Johnson was then claimed by the Texans, but his stint there was short and uneventful. He made little impact before being waived once again. Across three teams, Johnson ended the year with 33 catches for 375 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games.
Browns Sorting Out Quarterback Situation
Johnson brings the Browns one step closer to solving their depth issues at wide receiver. However, Cleveland has a more significant problem to figure out at quarterback.
Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel will all compete for the starting role. Deshaun Watson — the Browns’ $230 million quarterback — is still on the roster but unlikely to play next season due to an Achilles injury.
The Browns appeared to have solidified their quarterback room after selecting Gabriel in the third round. But general manager Andrew Berry added a surprising twist, taking a flier on Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round.
“We felt like it wasn’t necessarily the plan going into the weekend to select two quarterbacks,” Berry told reporters. “But as we talk about, we do believe in best player available. We do believe in positional value, and we didn’t necessarily expect him to be available in the fifth round. Love adding competition to every position room and adding him to compete with the guys that are already in there. We felt like that was the appropriate thing to do.”
Sanders and Gabriel will report for rookie minicamp on May 9.
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